In honor of all the moms out there, but especially my mom,
here’s my list of SOME of the many things I’ve learned from her.
The joy of reading. She
loved children’s books and literature and shared that love with us. She read
with us nightly and gleefully added to our library with each new advance in reading
ability and maturity. I clearly remember how excited she was the year she
decided I was old enough to read The Catcher in the Rye. As the time
draws near for Noah and me, I share her excitement.
Independence and
fearlessness. Thanks in part to the era of The Equal Rights Amendment, my
mom was determined that I would grow to be a self-confident, independent
woman. Perhaps she and others who know
me wish I’d received a smaller dose of determination and forthrightness, but
I’m confident that the boogie man doesn’t want to meet up with me in a dark
alley.
Compassion for those
less fortunate and a desire to fight for justice. During the Civil Rights
Movement, she spoke out and protested against segregation. When the T.V. news
showed the plight of Vietnamese war refugees in the 70s and 80s, she cried and
with my father helped a community to organize to bring the Ha family to our
town. I see that compassion and search for justice passing on to my own
children; with Noah who argued with school friends about Amendment One and Ben
who told me I wasn’t being nice when I made fun of someone.
What marriage is…and
isn’t. My parents have had many joyous years together, but it hasn’t always
been easy. I learned from her that the day-in and day-out getting along and
living together is as important as the passion. And that love changes with
time. It ebbs and flows. It’s not always easy but it’s worth the effort. The ability to forgive
is essential to a happy and enduring relationship.
The importance of
intentional parenting. In her day, Dr. Spock was all the rage. She read his
book, listened to other mothers she admired and took what felt right to her to
form her own parenting style. She was (intentionally) lenient and indulged us
in many ways but was firm and consistent when it came to what food we ate, time
we went to bed and how much T.V. we watched. My parenting style may be slightly
different from hers but I have followed her lead when it comes to food, bedtime
and T.V. and I’ve definitely learned from her that being a good parent is
difficult but worth all the effort.
I’m grateful to my mom for all that she’s taught me. I hope
that I can do the same for my children.
Happy Mother’s Day!
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