It's become a sweet ritual between James Van Der Beek and his TV mom on Dawson's Creek, Mary-Margaret Humes.
On Friday, March 8, as James celebrated his 47th birthday, the married father of six spent part of his day waiting for a special package to arrive from the actress, who played his onscreen mother Gail Leery for the show's six season run (1998-2203).
'It's my birthday and I just got a package from Fed Ex, it just arrived today from Mary-Margaret Humes, who played my mom on Dawson's Creek,' Van Der Beek shared in an Instagram post, before revealing that she's been sending him fresh baked cookies on his birthday in recent years.
In the caption of the post, he went on to share the inspiration behind Hume's generosity.
'Every year since my mother passed, my TV mom has baked me cookies on my birthday. It doesn't matter that I'm now older than she was when we first worked together, or that I've moved to Texas,' he wrote.
'She bakes them, and finds me, and does it from the bottom of her heart - and it always warms mine.'
James Van Der Beek, 47, revealed on Instagram how his Dawson's Creek TV mom, Mary-Margaret Humes sends him cookies on his birthday since his real-life mother passed away
Dressed in a black t-shirt and a black and white baseball cap over his shorter blonde locks, Van Der Beek has a wide smile on his face as he tells this heartwarming story on is birthday
Dressed in a black T-shirt and a black and white baseball cap over his shorter blonde locks, Van Der Beek has a wide smile on his face as he looks directly into the camera to tell this heartwarming story.
'All the boys who have ever been on television I for sure had the best TV mom,' the actor continued on camera. 'Mary Margaret thank you so much. I love you.'
Then, out on nowhere, Van Der Beek's wife of 13 years, Kimberly, jumps into the frame of the camera to proclaim: 'I love you too,' to her husband's television mom.
'Here's to all the kind, wonderful, loving women on#internationalwomensday who - mothers or not - show the kind of love that lights up the lives of those around them,' theCheshire, Connecticut native added in the post. '@thereal_marymargarethumes#dawsonscreek #cookies #moms #kindness'
It appears this was the fourth time she sent her TV son a plate of homemade cookies, considering his real-life mother,Melinda Van Der Beek, died at the age of 70 in July 2020.
Van Der Beek, who played Dawson Leery, first met Humes when they were preparing for the first season of Dawson Creek when he was 20-years old.
The teen series, which followed the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, would go on to become a big hit with viewers.
Van Der Beek played the lead role alongside the likes of Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson,John Wesley Shipp,Mary Beth Peil, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, Busy Philipps, and of course, Hume.
It turns out Humes has been sending Van Der Beek the cookies every year on his birthday since his real-life mother, Melinda Van Der Beek, passed away in July 2020 at the age of 70
Mary-Margaret Humes, 69, played the role ofGail Leery on Dawson's Creek, mother to the lead character Dawson Leery, who Van Der Beek portrayed for the six season run of the show
The actor, who portrayedDawson Leery on Dawson's Creek, couldn't hold back his big beaming smile while telling this story of how Humes has been sending cookies to him for his birthday since he lost his real-life mother in 2020
'All the boys who have ever been on television I for sure had the best TV mom,' Van Der Beek continued on camera. 'Mary Margaret thank you so much. I love you'
In a heartfelt tribute on social media following his mother's death, the actor opened up about the loss while sharing a series of photos of his mother, who was a professional dancer and gymnastics teacher.
'My mom crossed over last week. Even though we knew this was coming — and had actually thought we were at the end nearly a year and a half ago - I'm still in shock,' he shared with obvious emotion to his words.
'I'm grateful she’s no longer in pain, I'm sad, I'm angry, I'm relieved... all at once and in different moments. Just trying to hold space and allow for it all,' he said of his grief.
He went on to describe her as 'Miss Melinda' to her gymnastics students, a woman with a 'big heart and creative spirit' who lived by the mantra: 'There's no such word as can't!'
Humes andJohn Wesley Shipp played Ven Der Beek's on screen parents on Dawson's Creek
Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson were among Van Der Beek's co-stars on Dawson's Creek, which aired on The WB for six seasons
The beloved son shared this photo when he announced his mother,Melinda Van Der Beek, had passed away in July 2020 at the age of 70
'She believed in me based on nothing but her own intuition and she passed on a craziness that has been crucial to not just my success, but my own personal happiness,' Van Der Beek said of his late mother soon after she passed away in July 2020
The grateful son credited his mom for giving him life and driving him to his first auditions, no matter what.
'She believed in me based on nothing but her own intuition and she passed on a craziness that has been crucial to not just my success, but my own personal happiness,' he confessed.
He would end the heartbreaking post by sending a message about how his mother will be looking over his kids and her students, for all times.
'All I know is anytime my kids - or any of her students - want to dress up, or get on a stage, or dance, or even just think of her... they'll have a little extra love from the other side backing them up.'
