I was inspired by my aunt Kathy to think about all the positive memories I have from childhood. Upon reading her blog on her mother (my grandmother), I was surprised to read about so many things that her mom did that my mom also did when I was growing up, such as making homemade doughnuts, sewing projects like my pageant dresses, and instilling in me the proper gardening techniques, along with lots and lots of weeding!
It made me think about all the things my mother taught me that I consider an important part of who I am today. She taught me to be independent at a very young age, to express my opinion, take responsibility for myself and understand the consequences of my actions. I learned from her and dad a very Midwestern attribute of the hard work ethic, and doing things because you said you would...that strong characteristic of reliability. In the past, when I have met people who have not valued these same principles, I discounted them as true adults. I've learned to accept that not all people value the same things as I do and that it doesn't make them any less of an adult than me, but certainly a different kind of adult. :-)
My mother always encouraged me to do the very best and expected great things in school, in athletics, in whatever I pursued and I took away from that the belief that I could do anything that I set my mind to. I think that has taken me far in my life. I now understand some of those limitations that reality tends to thrust upon you, but I never stop trying and striving to do more, learn more and continue to better myself and as such better my community.
Admittedly, because I expect so much of myself, I in turn expect a lot from those around me and can be disappointed when I place someone on a pedestal and realize that they are not what I imagined them to be, but I have learned and am still working on learning to accept each as they are and not what I want them to be. I don't recall how I figured it out, but somehow when I was about 16 years old, I remember coming to the very important conclusion that you can't change people. People can only change themselves and only if they want to, and even then it's really hard to change! That being said, if I cannot accept someone for who they are, then I have to let those people go and move on. This lesson continues to guide me in the tough decisions I make.
My last thoughts would be that one of the most important things my mom taught me was to respect and love myself and to never let someone treat me with anything but love and respect. It can make for a long and arduous journey through the dating world, but I stick to this and the other principles I have gained from my upbringing to (hopefully) lead me down the path in finding my soul mate or as close to it as I can get. At the very least, I hope to find that partner and friend in life that my mom has in my dad.
Although we have had our lumps and bumps over the years, let it be known that I do love my mom and think of her often and wish nothing but the best for her in her health and well being and peace of mind. I hope this finds her in good spirits on her day. :-)
