“I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” – Mitch Albom, For One More Day
Dear World,
She has many names.
Mommy is the first. Strong is her second. Brave is her third. Blessed is her fourth and Phenomenal is her fifth.
The first lady in my life has been and will always be my mother. She’s been there since day one. She’s nursed my hurt and my pain. She’s been that shoulder upon which I can freely and openly bawl my eyes out. She’s been my number one motivator and my inspiration. My mother has given me the proverbial kicks in the rear when I needed them and didn’t realize it.
My mother has been my number one fan. She celebrates me and she celebrates with me. She laughs with me and she cries with me. She is the first voice of reason I consult.
We share that pure, unadulterated kind of love– It’s the love that transcends all physical things of this Earth. “Cosmic” is how I’d describe it.
Mommy has taught me many lessons but among them are the following top three:
- Be strong and brave
Being strong and brave doesn’t necessarily mean having the ability to physically lift or run a marathon. It also means being able to face my fears, and do it with grace. She’s taught me not to run from fear,but to face it head-on and tackle it. In being strong, I know that it is okay to set some issues aside and face them once I can. Stand up for yourself and for others who don’t have a voice to stand up for themselves. If you recognize that something isn’t right, address it and put the work in to make it right. - Say what you mean but don’t be mean about it
Be nice to people! The truth isn’t what hurts people, it’s the delivery of that truth that has a greater impact. - Be self-forgiving
I’ve always heard that I am my own worst critic. When I make mistakes, I get really upset with myself. It has taken me a while to practice self-forgiveness because I often straddle the line of being successful in all that I do and being a perfectionist. My mother has taught me to be patient with myself, forgive my own mistakes and also learn to laugh at myself.
I relearn these lessons daily as she finds a way to indirectly teach them and reiterate. For this I am grateful.
This is a public “thank you” to my mother for doing the best that she can, always.
You are loved and you are appreciated.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Candice Stewart is a Jamaican content writer specializing in human interest feature stories. She is a web content writer, blogger, and budding podcaster.
She holds an MA in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change and a BSc. in Psychology from the University of the West Indies (UWI, Mona).
Follow her blog at thesuburbangirlja.com, where she shares stories and life lessons through real-life experiences.
