Since today is Mother’s Day, I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you 10 valuable lessons my mother taught me while I was growing up. I’ve written this post in honor of her, and I know she won’t mind me sharing these lessons with you today.
There’s just something about the special bond between a mother and her daughter, and I’m thankful that my mother is also my friend and biggest cheerleader. I must admit that a day rarely goes by that I don’t talk with her, whether it’s on the phone, in person or by text. My mom has always been there to support me, and I treasure the memories I have of our times spent together over the years. Today I’m happy to share with you 10 valuable lessons my mother taught me while I was growing up.
- The most valuable lesson my mother ever taught me was the story of Jesus. I was a very young child when I accepted Jesus as my personal savior, but I still remember kneeling by my mother’s bed with her and praying the prayer that would change my life forever. In my opinion, there’s no greater gift a mother could give her child than leading her to the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
- My mother believes in the power of prayer and taught me to always look to God for answers. She’s always been quick to pray with me whenever I have a problem or get discouraged, and I can’t count the hours she’s spent praying for our family over the years. I am so thankful my mom prayed with me when I was growing up, and even today I know I can always count on her to agree with me in prayer. Prayer can bring healing, mend relationships, provide direction for our lives, and most importantly, deepen our relationship with God.
- Time spent reading is time well spent. I remember my mom reading to me when I was young and encouraging me to read as I got older. I used to make fun of her because she likes to read more than one book at a time, but now I can’t since I’m in the middle of reading 4 books right now! I’m so glad my mom instilled in me the love of reading because my love of reading led me to my love of writing. So. maybe you should thank my mom for the blog post you’re reading today.
- My mother used to tell me that it’s easier to be nice to someone than it is to be mean to them. So true! Hate, anger and resentment takes more effort and will drain you emotionally, so why not take the high road and choose to forgive and play nice with others?
- I used to hate it when I was a teenager and my mom would say, “You know what they say- birds of a feather flock together.” You know what? It’s true! It’s important to choose your friends wisely, because they will either bring you down or lift you up. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather go up than down!
- Although “Dreading’s worse than doing,” was one of my great-grandmother’s favorite sayings, my mother’s been the one to repeat it to me over the years. Isn’t it so true that dreading a task is usually worse than actually doing it?? Stop wasting your time and just do it already! You’ll be so glad you did, and it won’t be as hard as you imagined it to be.
- When I was in high school, my mom used to tell me, “The person you date could be the person you marry.” I can imagine myself rolling my eyes as she said it back then, but her advice to choose my boyfriends wisely definitely paid off since I have a great husband today. So if you’re single today, remember that you never know which date will be the one that leads to marriage. So be sure your dates have qualities you’d want in a life-long mate.
- Never say never, because chances are you’ll wind up doing whatever it was you said you’d never do. My mother would reinforce this concept to me often with the story of her childhood friend who always said she would never marry a poor man. She eventually married the poorest man she could find, of course! I’m not saying that money buys happiness, because she did have a happy marriage, but this is just one example of the many times when people do the things they say they will never do.
- Having a creative outlet not only is fun, but it also relieves stress and clears the mind. My mother has always encouraged me to use my creativity, and we sure have had some fun creating together over the years. From making human cell replicas for high school projects, to making homemade handbags, to decorating my niece’s Sweet Sixteen birthday party, you never know what we will come up with once we start brainstorming together! Use your creativity to create some fun in your life today!
- One of my mother’s favorite sayings for hard times in life is, “God is still on the throne.” She has said that as her mother was dying of Pancreatic cancer, as she was awaiting a double mastectomy for Breast cancer, as my dad was airlifted to a hospital after serious injuries from falling off of a roof, and even now as my husband and I face our battle with infertility. It is our faith that sustains us during the difficult seasons in our lives. He knows what’s best for us and all we have to do is trust Him. When we do not understand what He’s doing or why He’s doing it, we still know who He is. That’s really all we need to know…God is on the throne, He is in control, and He’s got this.
I feel blessed to have my mom in my life today, and I’m extremely thankful for the wisdom she’s passed on to me over the years. It is my prayer that one day I’ll have a child to teach these lessons to so I can continue the legacy of love and faith that she has laid out for our family.
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