I feel, if you're like me, the we often find ourselves focusing solely on the things we miss about our Moms. What we don't have now that she's gone. Things about her, what she could teach us, what we've lost because we lost her. Basically all that is HERE. If you're like me, you found yourself thinking, "yes, yes, yup, uh huh" etc. But within us we carry Her. She has molder what we are today, by being there, by raising us, teaching us and even in leaving us. She has ingrained herself on our souls, hearts and our personalities. Even 12 years later, I know that my mom is still a part of my personality. Even though she's not HERE daily, she's still so much of who I am. So today I "challenge" you to really sit and acknowledge what part of you comes directly from your mom. What has she imprinted in you that is so strong that it's as though she is still physically present in your life? Is it your nose? Your laugh? Perhaps it's a personality quirk? Your love of fruits or vegetables? A love of art? Music? These things we hold so dearly that come from our moms, that shape us daily in major and minor ways, these are the legacies our moms left, WE are their legacies. So what did she give you?
As for me I get my love of words from my mom. She used to get made fun of because out of habit she would use "big words" instead of smaller, common words. Growing up she used to do the crossword with her father and somehow she just got used to using "crossword" words instead of "normal" words. I didn't get the brains to do crosswords but I do still love words. I do wish I got the brains to do crosswords, but that's probably more my fault than hers. ;)
The Feminist within me comes directly from my mom. She was a Feminist to the core, inside and out. Back in the 70's she was a very forward thinker, a hippie in many senses of the word. She believed strongly in Title IX, the right that all girl's sports in schools should get the same funding and rights as boy's sports teams. I ran track and cross country and played basketball and soccer in high school all because my mom was such a Title IX proponent. She was all about women's rights. The right to make your own conscious choices. I get that from her. I get my belief in all human rights from my mom too. I wonder what she would think of the world today if she were alive, I think she'd be happy in the direction we are moving, probably.
I get my ability to KNOW how to be healthy from my mom, though I did not get the desire to do so from her. I wonder though if she really DESIRED to be macrobiotic but she did for her health and her life, for her kids, her family.
I get my family values from her. I get my belief that there can be a Utopian Family Life because it's what she created for my family. I believe strongly in family and being a unit as a family, dinners together, family fun time, family vacations, unconditional family love. My ability to be a glue to my family is due 100% in part to her. I saw her do it growing up and somehow learned how to do it myself. As does my ability to give unconditional love. She showed me unconditional love by giving it to me and to this day, I know I can give others unconditional love because of her.
Strength. In death she gave me strength. A strength I never knew I had within, but after she died, I found that strength to get to where I am today. And while there are times when I feel as though that strength has left me, I know even in those worst moments of feeling weak, that because I continue on, I have strength. Because of her.
My mom was very aware of her feelings and spoke of them often, I think it's safe to say I do that too... ;) But because of that and because she made us talk about our feelings she was a good person to talk to. If people in her life needed advice or just an ear to listen, she was often the one they called. I think to a small degree (though not nearly as much as her) I got that quality. The ability to be a good listener, she was a great one, I'm not as great but I think I still get that quality from her. She made people so comfortable when it came to talking about their problems, I feel (hope) I have that too. On the flip side, she was a talker, as am I. :)
I get my sense of humor and my love of laughter from her. She loved to laugh and was so often smiling. Thanks for that mom. :)
Boy is there a lot of stuff when you really sit down and think about it. This is not a finished list, but certainly a long list that I don't think about nearly as much as I should. So how about you? What's your list look like?
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