From the moment you’re conceived until the day she passes away, a mother spends her life with your best interest at heart. When she’s nagging about cleaning up after yourself, she’s trying to instill good character in you. When she won’t let you go to that party, it’s for your own good. When she’s holding you in her arms while you are sobbing over the boy who broke your heart, she’s there to remind you of how many frogs you’ll have to kiss before you find your prince charming. A mom is a guardian angel and a best friend tangled into one, and luckily, everyone gets one!
I could make a list a mile long of all of the things my mom has taught me, and I’m sure you could do the same. From the ABCS’s, to how to French braid hair, to which chaser tastes best with which liquor, we’d be lost without her wisdom. However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve started to recognize some of the more abstract things I’ve learned from my mom… the things that don’t necessarily lead to a specific outcome. Not how to make lasagna or find a good deal at the mall, but how to find happiness in the simple aspects of life and how to push myself to reach my goals. I encourage you to take a minute and think about what this looks like for you. For instance, maybe she’s helped you find your confidence or maybe she’s taught you how to prioritize the things going on in your life. Of course, these vary from relationship to relationship, but I believe there is one thing every person learns from their mom (usually without even knowing) and that is how to love someone else.
Love means something different to every person, and every person shows it in very different ways. But there isn’t a person in the world who will ever love you more than your mom (your dad is probably pretty high up there… but seriously, you grew inside of and then came out of your mom… that’s kind of an unmatchable connection). Every decision she makes is done with your best interest at heart. She nurtures you as an infant, helps you grow in your earliest years, guides you while you’re figuring out what type of person you want to be in this crazy world and never leaves your side throughout all of the trials and tribulations that come your way.
My mom specifically has always stressed the importance of inclusion. She taught me to approach life in the least judgmental way possible, to be interested in people unlike me and to learn about others before I form opinions on them. Once I started to recognize myself doing these things, I also recognized myself handling other situations in almost the exact way my mom would. I treat the important people in my life with respect, I talk to them openly and honestly and I always remind them of what they mean to me. This is exactly how my mom has treated me all of my life. If I look at those relationships longer, I only see more similarities. I want them to find their true selves, I want to see them succeed, I want them to be happy with their place in the world. Each another thing my mom has always wished for me, because of her love for me. So, to all moms, thank you endlessly for your undying love. Because of you, we better know how to love one another.