10 Life Lessons I Learned From My Mother

Mother’s Day is a time that we set aside to celebrate and honor our mothers. As I was shopping for her gifts the other day, I started thinking how these gifts pale in comparison to the gifts she gave me. I’m not just talking about all the material things, although that had to add up to a huge amount. But I’m talking about the life lessons she taught me. I’m talking about character here. These are life lessons she has taught me and she still reminds me by the way she lives her life. People often say I look like her and I love that. But I also hope I have the character she has always shown me.

 She has taught me tons of things throughout my life, but here are the top 10 life lessons that I have learned from my mother and qualities we should all strive for:

1. Be a positive person. My mom is the most positive person I know. Whenever I’ve mentioned a problem to her, somehow she can turn it around and make it sound like it’s really not that bad and everything will work out. And she’s right. It always does. Being a positive person just seems to attract others to you like a magnet. I have a long way to go, but I’m working on this every day.
2. Be encouraging. Like I said before, she always encourages me no matter what crazy idea I come up with, she thinks it sounds great. I try to follow her example by encouraging my own kids with everything going on in their life.
3. Be cheerful. My mom has always been the most cheerful person I know. Even if she has a bad day, you would never know. She stays cheerful. I’ve honestly tried being cheerful when I didn’t really feel like it, and it’s amazing how it sometimes becomes a reality, just by putting on a cheerful spirit.
4. Be friendly. My mom is not only cheerful to people she knows. She is also cheerful and friendly to everybody she runs into. She loves any opportunity to talk to people, whether they are friends or strangers. I remember one time when we had to move out of state, she reminded me to reach out to people (I’m more introverted than she is), and she was so right. I made a serious effort and made a lot of friends in our new town.
5. Be kind. My mom is kind to everyone she meets. She always cares about the welfare of others. She lives the “Golden Rule”, as we all should.
6. Be generous. My mom has helped family members on several occasions who were having a difficult time. She has shared her house and, of course, tons of meals. We should all remember to share what we have and help others, if possible.
7. Be loving. My mom is always loving towards her family and friends. Actually, she’s loving towards everyone. 
8. Be a hard worker. My mom has always been a hard worker and has shown me how to be one by her example. She was a real go-getter in her career and earned a lot of recognition.
9. Be determined. My mom has always been very determined in all she does. For example, she retired from one job and then went for a second career and was very successful. She taught me to not be a ‘quitter’ and keep going.
10. Be helpful. My mom has always shown me by her example to be helpful. I especially think about how she, along with my sister, helped me with my twin babies. I don’t know how I would have survived without both of their ‘helpfulness’. It was a wild and crazy time! You just never know how much people need your help.
11. One more I had to add: COOKING! My mom, and also both of my grandmothers, loved cooking. There’s something about mothers and grandmothers and their cooking. You probably feel the same way about yours. It brings back memories, keeps family traditions going, and makes us feel good and comfortable. I don’t compare to my mom, but I do like to try new recipes and cook for my family. That’s a lesson that gets passed from generation to generation.

Well, I could keep going on and probably write a book, but those are my favorite “life lessons” I’ve learned from my mother. I’m sure you’ve also learned a lot from yours. We need these qualities, whether we’re married, single, with kids, or no kids.  So, this Mothers Day, let’s celebrate and honor them, and also remember what we were taught. 

In honor of Mother’s Day, I am sharing this Mother’s Day post from last year. These life lessons are timeless and special to me and, therefore, I hope to pass them on to my own kids.

Have a great Mother’s Day!