Guest Blog Post: Seven Things I Want My Mom to Know Before It’s Too Late by Janet Miller
Oftentimes, we take our loved ones for granted and simply assume they know how we feel, but I believe it’s important to tell them how we feel, in addition to us showing them how we feel. It’s nice for them to receive the verbal reminder every now and again, just for that extra umph factor. They need to hear that we appreciate them.
Below are seven things I want my mom to know before it’s too late:
- You are beautiful, both inside and outside, to me
Just because you are a mom, does not mean you are not also a woman. I recognize this and appreciate all of your many characteristics. As my mother and as a woman, you are beautiful both inside and outside. I can see some of myself in you, and some of you in me. It’s not just that I have your blue eyes and the shape of your face, but that I have some of your personality as well. The older I get, the more appreciation I have for this. Thank you for putting up with me during my rebellious teenage years of independence. Your beauty certainly shone brightly through during that phase. Thank you for you.
- You are a wonderful, nurturing mother
You patiently raised me, teaching me right from wrong. You hugged me when I was sad. You nurtured me when I was hurt. You packed my lunches for school and drove me to piano lessons and made sure I went to church. You gave up your life’s wants and needs, for those of your children. That’s sacrifice.
You helped me grow into the young, professional woman I am today, and I owe this largely to you – my mom. Your pride in me has never wavered, and that is still apparent today, even though I’m grown. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
- I think about you every day through the lessons you’ve taught me
Daily, I have to make decisions – right from wrong – and it’s because of you that I can do this. You reared me to consider not just myself, but others along the way, and I’m grateful that you taught me such a valuable lesson. Even if it doesn’t immediately hit me that everyday you’re in my mind guiding me, ultimately I know that it’s your voice in my head, directing me on the right path.
I hear you in my head when I have a difficult decision to make. I wonder what you would tell me to do, and I imagine hearing you tell me the answer. You’re in my thoughts, heart, and actions – all the time, and I believe that somehow, you are still guiding me.
- I love to read because of you
You read to me when I was little, and I witnessed you enjoying reading on your own. To this day, reading brings me great joy, and I’m so glad you cultivated that in me. I have discovered new worlds and infamous characters. It entertained me, so that I was never bored. It’s kept me company on many insomniac nights. But most importantly, it has led me towards the path of writing, which is my ultimate love, and it’s because of you that I have this passion today.
- Thank you for caring for me and raising me to be the person I am today
Thank you for considering who I am when you raised me. You allowed me to be the sensitive person I am, realizing that while I may not have thick skin, I am sensitive to others’ needs, largely due to this. You allowed me to be me, and I am grateful for that.
Thank you for cultivating that sense of humanitarianism and caring spirit in me. Much of that is how I see me in you, so thank you. In a sense, we will never be gone from this Earth, because we are passed along in the lives of others, by our influence, and you are part of me now to be passed along to others.
- I learned how to multi-task from watching you
You are a mother, a cook, a real estate agent, a Sunday school teacher, a bookkeeper, a nurse and a substitute teacher. You held many roles at one time, and have progressed and developed over time.
While it was very much under-appreciated at the time, as is typically the case with kids, it’s very much appreciated now, in hindsight. We don’t realize we’re taking it all for granted, taking you for granted, until we are old and grown and experience it for ourselves. You were always a mother first. So thank you for that, and for not ever resenting giving up so much of yourself for us.
- You are a real-life hero
You have survived breast cancer, and that alone shows you are a fighter. But you are not only a fighter, you are my hero. You have overcome such harsh realities in life, as have many, and you are still a kind and concerned mother, which sets you apart from many. How that happens, I don’t understand, but you managed it just the same. I hope one day, that I am half the lady you are. Thank you for setting the example.
My mother is special to me and these are my seven, but you may have a different seven for your mom, and that’s perfectly fine – just tell her.
Janet Miller is a work at home “later” mom, health practitioner and yogi. She writes regularly for Forbes, MindBodyGreen, The Huffington Post, Fast Company and The Muse.
Tags: motherhood
