Things I Learned from My Mother

Mother's Day is just around the corner. This year's date happens to be an interesting one in our household. It's another Mother's Day that finds my hubby and I both Mother-less, as both have passed away, and May 10 happens to be the 5 year mark of the passing of my hubby's mother. (We are grateful, however for a step-mother who is a sweet and lovely woman and Grandma to our kids!) Yet, it is a bitter-sweet day ahead, as we think of, and honor our mothers, yet mourn their passing, and miss them terribly.

I have read a few blogs recently that highlighted things other gals have learned from their mothers. Naturally, my thoughts drifted toward my own mother, as I began to ponder what I had gleaned from her during her lifetime. As my own life gets so busy, I find that I don't reflect on some of those things as often as I need to, and as I'd like.

So, while each of you are welcome and invited to join with me as I reflect, I am realizing that this post is mainly for my benefit, and I hope you won't be too bored with the details...(I did whittle the list from 32 to 17!) Writing these thoughts gives them validity and makes them concrete--rather than fuzzy memories floating through my mind. It also reminds me of how lucky, blessed, and loved I was to be given such a beautiful woman for a mother. (Isn't her photo lovely? It's my favorite).

I invite each of you to do the same for your mothers--especially if they are living, and can appreciate it fully! You can also visit here for more inspirational Mother Tributes.

Things I Learned from My Mother:

1. We really do become our mothers. I see the things that are important to me now as a mom, are many that were important to her--even the things she never "taught" me, but things I picked up from just being around her. A good reminder for myself that my daughters are always watching...

2. God is real, He keeps His promises, prayers are answered, and reading the scriptures brings peace.

3. To love our country. Mom taught us that our civic duty was to always vote and be involved in politics, and she was.

4. Family night and reunions are priorities.

5. Cooking, sewing, public speaking, and poise. From the time I was 9, she held 4-H classes for me and my friends every summer up until I graduated from High School. She made us give demonstrations to each other weekly on cooking and sewing topics. Then over the course of the summer, we sewed an item of clothing that was to be entered into the county fair for judging, AND had to model it (that was, at times, humiliating!). I have ripped out so many sewing seams over the years that were not up to her standards, but in the end of course, I am grateful.

6. How to lead music. I never realized what a blessing that would be. I watched her lead music all my growing up years, and now I've led for the children and women's organizations in my church, and have loved it.

7. To love Dance. She had a dance studio in her home before I was born, and gave all of us girls the love of dance. (I truly think she sort of wished we were like the Osmond's, and could sing and entertain, as she ALWAYS wanted us to sing anytime we got together, and none of us wanted to!) So we joked with her later that our music was in our feet, because whenever we sisters got together, we danced instead of sang!

8. To exercise. I remember as a tot exercising with her to Jack LaLane on the T.V. (Funny!) She always tried to get a walk in daily, and now, so do I.

9. To take care of our health. Oh, my, was she health-conscious! We rarely (maybe even never) had white bread in the house growing up. Always her homemade whole wheat. And, she often had a home remedy for what ailed us, although we were really very healthy most of the time.

10. How to do laundry and clean house. Those darn Saturday chores never went away, and my kids whine about the same thing.

11. How to plant a garden and weed it. Ughh! How I hated weeding...but who doesn't, right?

12. If a mom stays up all night, new Easter dresses magically appear the next morning!

13. Creating limericks on a long car ride can really pass the time quickly.

14. If you put your shoes under the Christmas tree, the New Year's Elf fills your shoes up with goodies on New Year's Eve.

15. You can NEVER take too many pictures of an event!

16. Lilacs really are one of life's greatest fragrances.

17. To always keep learning and improving yourself. I always saw her reading books to improve her skills, her relations, her health, and to help have a happy, functioning family.

Mom truly molded me into who I am. I miss her daily, and love her dearly. Happy Mother's Day to all of you!