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Being a mother is hard.
Being a mother of small children who don’t always sleep at night and are involved in a million activities is physically exhausting.
Being the mother of teenagers and young adults can be emotionally exhausting.
As I told a young mother friend of mine this week – it doesn’t get easier, it only gets different!
Although I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mother and wouldn’t trade it for anything there are times I enjoy being a mother more than others.
I am grateful for my mother. I am grateful that she put up with me. That she loved me despite my sassy, mouthy teenager phase and that she continues to love me and support me as an adult.
In honor of Mother’s Day I am sharing with you five things my mother taught me. She taught me a lot more than five things but you are only getting five today.
Here’s a picture of me and mom – isn’t she beautiful!
So here’s the list:
1. Always be on time. My mother is always on time. From the time we were little we were trained to be on time. My mother taught me that being on time is a sign of respect.
2. Develop your talents and creativity. My mother is a very creative lady. In addition to developing and sharing her own talents she always gave her children opportunities to develop their talents and creativity. There were always lots of craft classes, sewing, music lessons and sports growing up. Once I was married and had children of my own she would babysit my children so I could take painting classes. Thanks mom for helping me develop my creative side!
3 Appreciation for family history. My mother has had a love of family history and geneology since she was a young girl. Thanks to my mom and her sharing of family stories with me I too have a great love of family history. It is one of the reasons why one of my daughter’s is named Calista, named after my great grandmother and it is the main reasons I have been involved in scrapbooking the last 18 years. Preserving and recording my family’s history and helping others to do so has been a big part of my life.
4. The importance of service. I have many childhood memories of watching and participating with my mother in various acts of service. Making pizzas and coloring greeting cards to earn money to build a church. Working at the taco booth at the county fair and helping at the church bazaar. Whether it was serving at church in various capacities or serving the community as the President of our local Girl Scout Council my mother has always been a wonderful example of service and the impact it can have on people’s lives.
5. A love for entertaining. My love for entertaining comes from my mother. Whether it was a house full of missionaries at the holidays or a living room full of adults playing Yahtzee my mother welcomed others into our home. There was always good food too! She helped me and my friend Jenny put on our first dinner party when we were twelve years old! Her example of graciousness and hospitality has greatly impacted my life.
Thank you mom for teaching me and supporting me!
Please check back tomorrow for a wonderful Mother’s Day Giveaway. To enter you will need to share one thing your mother has taught you – so be thinking and come back tomorrow to enter!!
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Of course she’s beautiful, you look like so much alike!
I would have to agree with 4 of your list for my mom too except for the one about being on time! She’s much better now that she doesn’t have any of us at home.
I love that your mom helped you put on a dinner party at age 12. Very cool. I think I may save that one for my own daugther.
What an inspiring idea. It’s really got me thinking hard. It’s fun to remember all the wonderful wise words my mom taught us over the years. thanks for this…
Thanks for getting my brain thinking. Will be excited to share tomorrow. You have truly been blessed with an amazing mother and you are passing those talents on through the generations. . . . .GO GIRL!
LA,
You are ‘amazing’ and I am sure your mother is very proud. You are a wonderful mother, mentor and entrepreneur.
Wow, what a beautiful tribute to your mother! How nice of you to honor and appreciate her in this way.
You are both beautiful! And you look so much alike. What a great tribute to your mother.
I like this post, it’s very sweet and sentimental. A lot of the things your mom taught you, I recognize in my father’s mom, my grandmother. I’ve learned plenty from my mother too:) I’ll be thinking…
My mother MADE me write thank you notes on all occassions starting as a young girl…whether it was for a graduation gift or just for being a good friend. People notice.
My mother taught me the importance of a smile! When you are talking to people smile and treat them like they are the most importnat person in your life at that moment. Now, as a business owner, that advice has helped me tremendously!
My mother taught me to appreciate the elderly. She taught me to love them, find interest in their lives, care for them, and value their opinion. This started as a little girl with an elderly neighbor and has led to years of my life being enriched by those elderly around me. Because of your post I quickly got together all my siblings to give me their “lessons from Mom” and put together a great book for her. She is going to LOVE it. Thanks!
My Mother taught me the importance of working hard and not complaining no matter how hard life may be and no matter how challenging the trials you have to go through may be. My Mother divorced my father after 22 years of marriage. I was 17 at the time. I have watched her struggle to support herself, I have watched her work 2 jobs , and she usually works 6-7 days a week. she never complained about all her work. she said it took too much energy to complain, and it just made life harder. she is turning 70 this month, and she is still working hard and caring on. Her stocks have sunk since the economic down turn and she still has not been able to retire, even at 70. My heart aches for her, she deserves sooo much more than what she has!! I would love the opportunity to reward her with a piece of beautiful jewelry. Jewelry is something she has always loved. My mother is amazing!
WOw, some of these are the very things my Mom also taught her three daughters.
But I think one of the most important things my Mom taught me was “Stand true to yourself, never give up your intergrity”.
One of the funniest saying that she taught me and is so very true “Ya can get more done with honey than you can with Vinegar”. Ya know as a kid I didn’t fully understand or appreciate those words. However, as an adult I fully understand it, guess that is why I have such a sunny disposition.
One of the more deeply profound was “Sweetie, I know the road your on is hard and bumpy, oh but wait till you get around the bend and see what is there, as is always the case there will be new scenery.” This I tell myself on many occassions, maybe not this exact way, but the same message when time are hard.
Thank you Leigh Anne. A mom always wonders if she was a good influence on her children. I shed a tear over this post. Love you. Mom
What most comes to mind that I have learned and am still appreciating from my sweet mother is the importance of family and leaning on each other. Family comes first for her and it has made all the difference!
I just put my five things down her or was it on another page of the same drawing. But again she has taught me so much but I can put a few more on here.
Taught me how to be a good mother and love my two children that took us so long to adopt. I’m so glad she helped me to learn to be that good mother and be there to help our two children as the grew up to be good adults and loving parents. I have 5 beauitful grandchildren by them and for that I’m very grateful for them.