Mother’s Day is the perfect time to reflect on and appreciate the incredible mother figures in our lives – those women who have given so much of themselves to raising us, loving us, and teaching us the most important lessons. As we get older, we start to see our parents as people with their own stories and experiences. I’ve always known my parents were people, but I didn’t always see them as anything other than “mom” and “dad.” It’s only as I’ve gotten older that I’ve realized this is their first time living, too – and that realization has made me appreciate them even more.
One thing I admire about my mom is how much she’s always wanted to be a mom. Growing up, I sometimes worried that maybe she had my sister and me too young – like maybe we’d stolen a life she had hoped for herself. Of course “too young” is totally subjective, and we all have our own timelines, but sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my mind around my mom being my age. When she was twenty, she was attending Texas State University just like me. I can’t help but wonder: have we sat in the same study spots or taken the same route to class?
My mom is a kindergarten teacher, and honestly, she is the best in our district. She was definitely put on this earth to raise/educate little kids (that includes her own kids). After she graduated from college, she got married and had me. She told me that was just the “natural order of things,” but now it seems like more women are traveling or diving into their careers before settling down.
For all the college women reading this, I know we can all feel a little anxious about our futures. My mom got married right after college, and sometimes I feel like I’m “behind” in life – that I need to hurry up and find someone to marry after I graduate. But she always reminds me, there’s no “correct” timeline for relationships or dating.
“If you want to get married young, that’s a wonderful step to take. And if you want to wait, that’s just as wonderful,” she said.
My mom’s taught me everything I know about love, kindness and how to navigate life as a woman. When I say my mom taught me about love, I mean every kind of love: platonic love, self-love, and, of course, romantic love.
Platonic Love
Growing up, I went through a bit of an awkward phase where I struggled with friendships. I had trouble putting myself out there, and when I faced friend drama, my mom never took my side right away. She’d listen, think about it, and then give me her honest opinion. Most of the time, she was on my side, but if I messed up, she’d gently tell me. This taught me to be more self-aware of how I treat my friends and whether a friendship is worth saving or letting go.
Self-Love
Having a great mom doesn’t mean you’re automatically free of insecurities, and it doesn’t mean you never doubt yourself. We all have our insecurities. But having someone like my mom – who always leads by example – helps me build the confidence I need to love myself, flaws and all. She builds me up for my accomplishments and genuinely believes that I can go far in life. Her support makes doing scary things (like moving away this summer for an internship) easier.
Romantic Love
I’m beyond lucky to have the parents I do. They have one of the healthiest relationships I’ve ever seen. They don’t follow traditional gender roles. Instead, they divide everything 50/50. Both of them took care of us, and my dad wasn’t one of those dads who left all the childcare to my mom. He was fully involved, and that has set such high standards for me. Some might say my standards are unrealistically high, but honestly, I just know I won’t settle for anyone who doesn’t treat me the way my dad treats my mom. My mom and dad are the definition of a team – the way marriage is supposed to be. It’s never been them who have dulled my expectations for dating; it’s the real-life guys who just don’t have any manners. But because of them, I still believe there’s a nice guy out there who will meet my expectations.
So happy Mothers Day to all the amazing moms out there, especially mine. I love you mommy! xoxo