Lessons from Mom That I Have Kept to Heart

We all have Mommy-isms. Sometimes we don’t understand why she even tells us these things until much later in life when we go “Oh so that’s what she meant.”

“Your talent is God’s gift! [If you don’t use it] it’s like being given a treasure and you’re just burying it!” I was in 6th grade when I passed a test for acceleration (skipping a grade), but had second thoughts of going to highschool a year early. Why? My friends were going to be left behind! I told my Mom I didn’t want to skip a grade because I’d miss my friends and she got really mad, of course. Understandable. I’m really happy I did get to highschool early. I don’t even know where those 6th grade friends are now. I cherish this Mama-ism as it keeps me from bottling up my ideas and reminds me to be grateful for opportunities (better yet, seize them!).

“No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” This was a quote she saw on a billboard when she was still unmarried and first started working. It has been one of her greatest guiding principles since then. She shared this quote with me many years ago when I was having a career dilemma. It’s been a guiding principle for me since then as well. Family always comes first.

“I love you my little rosebud.” She started calling me “rosebud” in my early 20s then stopped before I got married. Haha. So I associate “rosebud” with the times I was a little lost but beginning to be more stable in my life.

“Always have two of everything.” This way when you run out of one item, you always have back-up! That’s why there are always two bars of soap in the bathroom, two more rolls of toilet paper, two boxes of cereal. Who knows when we’ll need back-up?

“Juice as much as possible.” She didn’t say this exactly, but I follow by example. She’s very health-conscious, so when she juices her vegetables, I get my veggies too! I prefer smoothies in the blender though, so while she juices, I blend! I thank her for being a great influence in me taking more active steps to be healthy!

“Pray.” My Mom is a devoted Catholic, me not so much. But she always reminds us about the power of prayer. I’m a big believer in prayer, so this is the part of her devotedness to faith that I got.

“Prayer is nothing without action.” But while we both believe in prayers, we also believe nothing will be achieved if you don’t do anything!

“If you can help, help.” My Mom is one of the most generous people ever. It’s not a monetary kind of generosity but one that’s grounded in service. I see her reach out to friends and family wholeheartedly. She’s compassionate. She’s thoughtful. I am thankful she has touched so many lives with her generous spirit.

“Fight for what you deserve.” Mama is super assertive! Sometimes there’s no winning an argument with her! It’s this strong spirit that made her so successful in school and at work. She’s a ball of fire, really. She’s very much a fighter in all aspects of her life, and I got part of that Warrior spirit of hers. Here’s an excerpt from a piece I wrote on Make It Blissful that captures my Mom’s fighting spirit:

My mother is fierce. She has this strong, aggressive power that emanates with every step she takes. From her I learned not to take things sitting down, to fight for what I believe is due me and the family. As a young child, this kind of strength fascinated me. I couldn’t marry how my Mom was with what I read in fairy tales and local legends — meek women waiting for their knights in shining armour to rescue them. I saw my Mom like a warrior princess, wielding shield and sword. It impressed and scared me at the same time. But the more I recognized how assertive my Mom was, the more reserved I became. I was intimidated. While I was in awe of her energy, I couldn’t imagine being as strong as she was. That is, until I became a woman myself.

Read the rest of the piece here: Strength of a Warrior Princess.

And now a note to my very loving Mama.

Dearest Mama,

I love you! Thank you for being so thoughtful — for sending me pictures of Timmy while I’m at work, for reminding me of grocery items I need to buy. Thank you for texting me when I publish a blog piece and pointing out spelling and grammatical errors! Thank you for being my role model — a loving warrior queen, a woman of strength and substance. Thank you for being the best grandmother ever — Timmy loves you oh so very much. Thank you for being patient and understanding — they help me learn lessons of life the (sometimes) hard way, but I always, always learn. Thank you for loving me and Dennis wholeheartedly. We love YOU very much!

Happy Mother’s Day! Let’s celebrate this week!

Love always,

Your Favorite First Baby Four Eyes Toni Ambo Rosebud

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers reading this!

Hi! I'm Toni Tiu, and I've been blogging at at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.