In honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday, I have decided to write this blog post in appreciation for my amazing Mother and all the wisdom she has passed down to me. She has taught me so much throughout my teenage and young adult years. Without her influence on my life, I honestly have no idea how I would have turned out! This is what my Mother taught me.
My Mother taught me to use my manners; to say yes ma’am and no sir, please and thank you. She taught me to respect adults by calling them Mr. and Mrs, not to talk while eating, or interrupt people when they’re talking. From her I learned how to set the table and accept compliments graciously but pass them immediately on to the Lord in a spirit of thankfulness. As a woman she taught me to cross my ankles when sitting in a dress, how to walk in heels, and not to draw attention to myself by being loud or distracting.
When I was little, my Mother taught me to cook and bake. She would sit me on the counter as she prepared supper so that I could help stir or pour. Whenever she was in the kitchen, my siblings and I were too. As I grew older and began to be more responsible, I wanted to bake on my own. She would encourage me by saying “I don’t care what you cook as long as the kitchen is clean when you’re done.” Very rarely has she told me “no “to being in the kitchen. In fact, she even gives me family dinner nights whenever I want.
“Busy hands joyful heart,” are words my Mother repeatedly quoted to me. She taught me to busy my hands through sowing, reading, gardening, cooking, and other tasks that were beneficial to my health and brain. She encouraged me to find a hobby I love and that I will still be physically able to do when I am 70, such as gardening, and playing musical instruments. Idleness rarely leads to anything productive, and therefore, I have continued to look for ways to keep my hands busy in order that my heart may be joyful.
My Mother taught me to be kind to everyone. The people who annoyed me, she encouraged me to bear up under and show kindness to them by greeting them heartily and calling their name and by having courteous conversations with them when appropriate. She taught me how to deal with the difficult people in my life with grace and mercy. Just because I had a hard time getting along with them was no excuse to be unkind. I learned by her guidance to include everyone, not just the friends I liked the most, or the ones that only included me. Instead she encouraged me to include the younger ones and the ones that cannot benefit me in any way. My Mother taught me to be thoughtful of others and to be outward focused, not inward focused.
Most importantly, my Mother taught me to memorize scripture and cultivate my relationship with the Lord. She always made sure I had a Bible. She has provided me with resources to grow my faith such as books, sermons and podcasts, and journals to write how the Lord is working in my life. When I was about 10, I would come down for breakfast and she would ask, “did you read your Bible this morning?” If I replied with a “no,” she said, “that’s the first thing you should do when you wake up in the morning, open God’s word. Make it a habit now so that when you go to college and you're in your thirties, it will still be a habit.” My mother advised me to start young when memorizing scripture because as I grew older, it would only become more difficult. “Take every thought captive,” she would say, “hide the word in your heart so that you are equipped to battle fleshly desires.” My mother taught me to take advantage of my ability to remember scripture. Her teachings have become habits. I still memorize scripture and I still prioritize reading God’s word in the morning with a cup of coffee.
I am thankful for her guidance in my life, for imparting her wisdom to me. Every day, she shows me what sacrifice, unconditional love, and prioritizing family looks like. She has guided me through my difficult situations, pulled me out of making dangerous choices, and supported me in various endeavors. I don’t say it near enough: thank you Mother Dear!