So, I’ve been a mom for just over two years now, and in that short time my appreciation for my own mother has grown immensely. I’ve always appreciated my mom, but until I became a mother myself, I did not grasp the sheer amount of work, dedication and love that motherhood demands. I’ve told her this, but somehow it just seems like I can never stop saying, “thank you.”
The daughter of two hardworking Irish immigrants, my mom is the first generation in her family to go to college. She worked her way up the ranks of a major telecommunications company. She juggled family and a career, raised and tamed two daughters who liked to bicker, and was CEO of our household. My dad traveled a lot for work, and while dad was away mom was the glue that kept us all together.
How did you do it? Wow, I owe you mom.
10 Lessons I Learned from My Mom
- Laugh every day—some days this may mean laughing at yourself on multiple occasions and that’s ok. Why yes, I did know that my earrings do not match.
- Be grateful—remember all that is good in your life. Focus on that when you’re having a bad day, week, or alas month.
- Take care of yourself—set a good example for your own family. When you are healthy it is much easier to take care of your family.
- Give yourself a pat on the back—recognize all that you do. There will be good days and bad.
- Ask for help—sometimes it’s hard to do, especially when you feel like you can do it all, but having a support system is essential. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
- Take it in stride—like when my toddler decides a game of chase around our muddy
yard would be fun—when we’re already running late. That’s a good time to just smile and laugh. Life is too short. - Put yourself out there—this means getting comfortable with awkward situations. Like having to take ballroom dance class at the peak of my awkward years. But looking back I learned some valuable lessons: the importance of a firm handshake, how to somehow appear calm and collected under pressure and above all how to laugh at myself.
- Just breathe –whether you are at work or home, there will be hectic moments. Take a deep breath, these moments will pass. Somehow the dishes will get done, meals prepared, deadlines will be met and life will go on.
- Rise above—play fair, don’t lower your standards or behavior when others around you do. You are better than that. This has served me well, especially when playing sports, driving among stressed out and lousy drivers and also at work.
- Believe in yourself—because you are the only one standing in your own way.
Recently, my mother-in-law said to me, “I don’t know how you do it.” Working full-time and having a family as well, that is. Well, plenty of women do it. There are days when I’m not sure how I pull it off, but I do know that I learned from an amazing woman.
To all the moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day. Whether you are working full-time inside the home or outside of the home, you do more than you could possibly know.
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