Qualities and lessons of my mom
You could probably think of some different qualities that your moms may have and I would suggest you write them down and show her sometime.
Fun – Fun was definitely one of the lessons my mom taught me. There were many times that my mom would bounce around the house listening to the Beach Boys, Billy Joel, or Elvis singing along with them. There were many times when she would play catch with me also and she wasn’t half bad.
Although there was plenty of fun there was also DISCIPLINE. - I was a little trouble maker when I was growing up and in my house spankings weren’t all that uncommon for certain offenses. Depending on the situation sometimes my mom would grab whatever was next to her and come at us. I remember running around outside my house in a circle over and over again trying to get away from my mom who was chasing me around with the fly swatter. When she caught me I looked her in the eye and said Mom! I am not a fly! After a minute her angry face melted away into a chuckle and let me off the hook. She told me later in life that she couldn’t punish me that day, because she thought I was pretty brave to stand up to her and also pretty hilarious to suggest that I didn’t deserve my punishment in that inhumane way.
Service – There are so many memories of things my mom has done for others and things she has done for my family that I couldn’t even begin to list them all.
Nurturing - Nurturing is a good way to describe my mom. From the many animals we had to the many neighbors in need. There have been so many years of seeing mom in the garden growing and nurturing. She’s always been good with the needle, not just on quilts and mending clothing but on other things as well. For example, the time the neighbor boy was over helping cut wood. My mom ended up sewing his hand back up after my brother accidently got it with the chainsaw. Another incident was when she sewed up a family friends face after a motorcycle accident. Neither had the money to go to the doctor. One of the greatest lessons in nurturing I’ve learned over the years from my mom is how she interacts with my nephews. I am the youngest of three and never really saw my mom around too many kids until my nephews came along. The way she teaches them and the ways that she shows them love will always stick with me.
Educated -Always reading up on doctrine and history of the church. She was our tour guide on our cross country trip to all of the church sites and national monuments. I went with four of my friends and even after all these years my friends still express how grateful they are to have my mom there every step of the way explaining what was significant about every little thing. Although she only went to part of beauty school and no further college education, she is one of the smartest people I know. Always has some information about anything even if it’s just a snippet.
My mom grew up without a whole lot. They were lucky to have meat on the table. She was raised in the old fashion kind of world. When I hear about the way a lot of my friends were raised and experiences they had compared to mine, I think I have come to the conclusion that I was raised in an older world as well. We got to hear a lot of funny old sayings growing up and hear some fun songs and nursery rhymes. She has always made the best out of all she has.
Sacrifice - My mom sacrificed a lot for us in big ways and in small ways also. I remember scrounging through her purse a lot growing up and yelling from the other room “mom can I have this five dollars in your wallet?” rarely would she ever say no. We didn’t have much when I was growing up but I never felt that way. My mom was talented in so many ways that she could stretch a dollar into 7 days of food for five. I always felt we had more than enough because of how prepared she has been her whole life.
Relationships - My mom and dad have worked really well together throughout their marriage. That’s not saying that they haven’t had their hard moments, but I can understand why they fell in love. My dad is one of a kind. He grew up out in the country and learned a lot of survival trades. A true boy scout at heart. There was a time in his life when he had to leave the country and live in the city out in the bay area in California. He and my mom ended up meeting that year at a stake dance. My mom recalled the first time she ever visited my dad at his apartment , she noticed that he was growing potatoes in old milk cartons and after that she knew he would be the one that would complete her life. They were married shortly after in the Oakland temple and moved back to Idaho together.
Love – The lessons of love from my mom came in many ways. Most by the ways she has shown me and by the way she has shown others around me. But there was one lesson above all the rest that I remember and I learned it in a way that is a bit unconventional. When I was younger I used to play baseball with the boys. My mom always attended my games and a lot of times she would make one of those big round coolers full of hot chocolate and bring them to our games to share with everyone. She loved being able to give and make people happy any way she could, she still does. I remember the one game that changed my life, the one that started the journey of this lesson in love. My mom used to sit right behind home plate during all of our games and she used to scream and shout louder than any other person. Sometimes it was embarrassing but now I look back on it all and loved that about her. I sometimes used to catch and on that night I remember that was my position. I remember looking back behind me and noticing that my mom had tears in her eyes and asking her what was wrong. She said she would tell me later. I always knew that when she had something to tell me later that it usually meant it was very serious. That was the day before she told us kids that she had cancer. I had never truly understood how much I loved her until I thought that I might lose her and praying every night that it should be me and not her. That was a long hard battle for our family but especially for her. She wasn’t able to do a lot of the things that she was always accustomed to. She had to let other people serve her rather than giving of herself. I learned a lot about love during that time, I learned how much she truly loved me and how much I truly loved her.
There’s a quote I found by Thomas S. Monson that states “A mother’s unqualified love approaches Christlike love.” I thought that was a pretty powerful statement, to think that the love our mothers have for us approaches Christlike love. I know there is no other love than a mother’s love and I have been blessed to have been able to feel of it. I hope to one day pass on the amazing lessons that my mom has given me and to live up to her legacy. I love you mom.
