As a young woman, I have found myself appreciating my mom more than ever before. As a girl, I was connected to my mom, of course, but it was different. My mom was the “mean parent” or, in other words, the parent that kept things in order and disciplined me when it was needed. She was my rock. She knew all of my interests, was up to date on who my friends were, and always showed up when I needed her the most.Â
Now, this is not to say that my mom was perfect — no person is. When I was a teenager my mom and I would scream across the house about whatever topic I decided to pick a fight over that day. Frequent fights were over my future, house rules, doing the dishes, walking the dog, my grades, family drama, and, honestly, petty things that I cannot remember. However, my mom and I always managed to come together a few moments, hours, or days later and resume our typical routine of watching trashy reality TV shows like “Big Brother,” or crime thrillers like “NCIS.” This is one of the greatest things my mom taught me: How to disagree while continuing to love and support one another.Â
My mom is a shorter woman, standing at 5’3 on a good day. She has curly dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her father was a first generation Greek Immigrant, and she embodies many characteristics of Greek culture. She loves to laugh, but she is serious about her career. She rarely sits still, and often fills her schedule with a variety of activities. In 2025, she beat cancer. She is confident, proud, and unwilling to accept any less than she deserves. She is a power-house of a woman. Â
To list everything my mom taught me about womanhood would be impossible. She instilled in me hundreds of values and beliefs that have helped me develop into a confident and capable person. Below are a few that are prevalent in my life today.
Showing up is essential.Â
Even if you overslept, have a headache, or you just don’t want to go, showing up is important. Every class that is missed is a missed opportunity for growth. Showing up to social events strengthens your relationships with friends and family. Commitment and reliability are powerful traits to have, and showing up time after time demonstrates those characteristics.Â
One must have an inner-circle.Â
The “inner-circle” is one’s closest circle of trust. Much like a monarch’s Privy Council, the inner-circle are the most essential advisors and confidants in your life. They are the people who can be honest and tell you when you just might be in the wrong. They are a pillar of support, and are there in the best and worst of times. However, to have an inner-circle, one should be an inner-circle member. It’s similar to the saying “to have a village you must be a villager.” The inner-circle is reciprocal, to find support in others, you, in turn, have to support them.Â
Finally, sometimes you just have to chill.Â
My mom instilled in me that high achievement in school was a non-negotiable. That same level of commitment to achievement is also necessary when participating in clubs or in performance at work. However, that does not mean rest is not important. Growing up, every Sunday my mom would close her bedroom door, turn on the TV, and paint her nails. My brother, my dad, and I all knew that she was not to be bothered. That rest time allowed her to recharge and recenter herself. My mom is a hard working financial executive, but she always made sure she had time for me, as well as time for herself.Â
There are a million more wisdoms my mom has shared with me, but there simply is not enough space to share them all. My mom is my role model for my future and my character. Yet, my mom is living for the first time too. She still struggles to take a photo on her phone, work her computer, and navigate A.I. She is a woman who loves Bruce Springsteen, reading on her Kindle, and cuddling with the family pets. She is layered and complex, and she has so much more to teach me about life. Maybe, just maybe, I have some things to teach her too. Perhaps we are each other’s role models. Â