Mother Knows Best
Every time Mother’s day rolls along each year, we are reminded about how much our moms mean to us and how much they affect our lives, habits and personalities. They teach us manners and good graces, discipline, tenderness, how to love, and how to love back. These little things are left ingrained in our hearts and minds and stay with us as we grow up and become parents ourselves.
Although some of us are closer to our moms than others, we can always be assured that our moms will always be there when we need them. It’s the guidance and support that they impart to us that molds us in our younger years and influences us as we reach adulthood. As kids, we may not always understand them and their ways, but as we grow up we always find out that when it comes to us, our mothers always have the best intentions.
To show appreciation to the most important people in our lives, we dedicate this to all the moms out there. We love you moms! Happy Mother’s Day!
We asked people "What is the best lesson you've learned from your mom?"
Reena, 55
My mother was a character! It's funny how now, I see that in most things (with resistance in my younger days) that I've become my mother 2.0. She taught me so many things from practical to social graces etc, but when I look back, the best lesson that ties up all the other lessons is how to have a relationship with God, to talk to him like a friend, to confide in him, to tell stories, to thank him, to ask and to bargain for grace and after you've done your best, you have to let go and accept the bigger decision our Lord has made for you. What a journey I am going through at the mid-point of life and this blog won't be enough for those stories... Though in the most humble ways, I am blessed specially with my 3 boys and I wonder if asked the same question, what their answer would be?
Marco, 33
Be smart with Money! Buy experiences and not things!
Growing up, my mom did not spoil me with material things. She would rather spend on food and travel. True enough, I can’t even remember things I wished I could have owned, BUT I do remember vividly the memories created during our travels. Also, she would always say it’s not about how much you earn but how much you can keep!
Live an active lifestyle: Health is Wealth!
My mom has always encouraged me to go into sports! During my childhood, my mom would always bring me to summer camps. Years later, I realized having a sport can in fact instill discipline and makes one happier and healthier of course!
Iko, 31
My mom taught me basically everything about life. What stuck with me is to be a fighter - face your problems head on so it will be over right away! (she has a point) And to really enjoy life to the littlest details. Her wisdom and outlook in life is what I live by PLUS her high-pitched voice LOL. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM! Happy Mother's Day!
Jaia, 29
The best advice mama gave me is, "let go and forgive even though a person doesn't ask for forgiveness coz it will give you inner peace and break you free from worries."
Kat, 41
When I gave birth to my daughter Krystle, I was 20 years old. Obviously I didn't know much about being a mother however, I was determined to be a good one.
My Mom lives in Canada and I remember talking to her one night on the phone when my daughter was a few months old and I guess I expressed at one point during the conversation about my fears about being a good parent. She gave a lot of good and practical advice but the one thing that she said that always stuck with me was"You don't own your daughter. You were chosen by God to love, protect and nurture this child. Your job is to provide for her, guide her, raise her to be a good human being.
But you have to remember that you would have to let her go when it is time." And this helped me a lot, it prevented me from hovering too much and being a "helicopter parent".
I didn't want to suffocate my daughter by being too overprotective but of course I still had rules in place, you can't be too lenient either.
My mother's advice was very helpful especially during the teenage years and even until this day. The teenage years is the time when they start going out with friends, boys getting interested, and just wanting to do things on their own. And that's never easy for any parent because you're faced with the fact that your child is no longer a baby. But I was preparing myself for this day because I would always have that voice of my mother in my head. As soon as she hit puberty I was mentally and emotionally preparing myself already. I had to slowly learn how to let her go and let her discover who she is and accept that the process doesn't always include you.
She's a young adult now, she's 21 years old. She's a recent college graduate, she would soon learn that adulting is really hard! I do still worry whenever she goes out at night with friends, whenever she goes job hunting or has plans of going out of town. You never stop worrying no matter what age they are but I have to trust that she remembers everything I taught her whenever she's out there in the real world. As a result of this advice from my mother I ended up making sure that she knew how to think for herself and learn how to make her own decisions at an early age. My Mom told me I have to let her spread her wings and fly one day and that day has come.