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5 Things I Learned From My Mother

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{This is part of a compensated campaign with Hallmark}

It was a Monday morning and we were running late for school. As I raced against the clock to get the kids dressed, fed, and prepared for the new school week, I paused… It wasn’t something I said or did necessarily…but in that moment I thought back to my own childhood and realized that this is exactly what my mother did for me. The messy, sometimes chaotic, beautiful, self-sacrifice that is motherhood was displayed right there in that moment and if I could choose to do it all over again I would.

Mother Daughter

With Mother’s Day approaching, I have been reflecting on what I learned from my mother and how that has influenced my own identity as a friend, a daughter, a mother, and a woman. There is no greater gift than celebrating the woman who loved, sacrificed, forgave, inspired, and gave me life. And beyond what she said, it was what she did that I still carry with me as I approach parenting my children.

5 Things I Learned From My Mother

1. Value others more important than yourself.  More than just the golden rule, my mother taught me to listen, learn, serve, and love others. She also showed me that while it’s easy to love those who love you back, it takes character to love those who might be perceived as unlovable.

2. Forgive often. The secret of forgiveness is knowing that it isn’t necessarily for the benefit of those who’ve wronged you. Forgiveness frees you to heal, grow, and love again, and prevents the deep-seated root of bitterness. Think of forgiveness as freedom and choose to practice it regularly.

3. Maintain your integrity. Choosing to do the right thing is never easy, particularly in a society where everyone is governed by their own moral compass. But without your integrity, who are you? Oprah Winfrey summed it up perfectly when she said that “real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”

4. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Like many teens, I was very in touch with my emotions and often found myself easily swayed by the storms of life. I remember my mother telling me that there is a season for everything, including sorrow and celebration and that laughter, even at one’s self, is the best way to navigate those storms.

5. Persevere.  Life is hard, and as we get older, our idealistic perspective is often replaced with the harsh realities of illness, poverty, relational turmoil, and even death. But in the midst of those trials, who we are shines through when we commit to persevere.

In the midst of Sunday brunches, flowers, and gifts, I encourage you to pause for a moment and reflect on those things your mother taught you that helped shape who you are today.

And be sure to visit Hallmark on YouTube to watch their beautiful, poignant #PutYourHeartToPaper Mother’s Day videos.

Caryn Bailey
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