Q+A: Memories of Mothers

Monday, May 12, 2014

Yesterday in the U.S. it was Mothers' Day. It can be a holiday fraught with love for some and anxiety for others, but I think we can all agree that whether it was your mother or someone else, amazing woman have helped to shape our lives, which is why I asked these five bloggers about a time or act their mother did that helped shape them.
MothersQ&A, mothers, lessons, bloggers,

Considering what my own mother taught me, one act that has always stuck out was her choice to go back to school for a Masters' degree. With a full time job, a husband and two elementary school kids, she also found the time (in addition to also coaching a team for my sister and leading my girl scout troop) to do this. At the time, in many ways, this was not such exciting news; it meant several evenings a week with no mom for us, but it left a lasting impact. I look on it now and recognize the importance of- not just continuing to learn- but of being able to initiate change in your life no matter where you are or the circumstances you are in. Most often you will not be able to pull up roots and move somewhere; you have to find change where you are and going back to school allowed her to be able to grow and eventual new career paths. This is something that will stick  with me even as an adult.

Kerry of Mustard Seed Coaching shares: 
One of my favorite memories of growing up was the constant sound of a piano being played. Sometimes this meant the radio, or a record, was playing, but usually it meant my mom was playing or teaching piano. There is a room in my childhood home solely dedicated to our grand piano. When I say ours, of course, I really mean her grand piano. I remember her telling me that it was the first major purchase she made, buying this giant instrument before a car or an apartment. Something about that resonates strongly as it's exactly along the lines of a decision I would make, the kind that derives from one's gut as opposed to doing something 'realistic'. Having a piano in our home blessed me with some obvious things like having a strong taste for classical and acoustic music, and a love for music in general, and being able to sing to live music anytime I wanted. However, it also instilled a few other key lessons like the importance of practicing learned skills, maintaining a passion, doing something you love, sharing those skills with others, and earning money from talent were all lessons that made their way from our piano into my mind and out into my life, where they still maintain today. Our moms do so much for us that it's hard to pick just one thing to note, but for me my best lessons came from the sound of keys being pressed down, music flowing out, and the song continuing on.


Ashly of Happy. Pretty. Sweet. tells her mother:

Thanks mom for showing me what love means.  It took me years to learn that not every child has a mom to turn to when they scrape their knee or have a bad day at school.  I am so lucky.  You love me even when you disagree with the decisions I make, and you support me even when those decisions don't turn out the way I planned.  You've shown me that true love doesn't come with strings, and by always being there for me, you've shown me it's okay to stretch my wings.  I can fly because we are a team.

Ruth the Origami Girl recounts: 
My Mum always surprises me by never saying no to crazy art. Not when it come to making things. When I told my parents we wanted a board-game themed outdoor wedding with Lego cakes, my mum got right on board making prototype iced bricks all year round.
And that made me think of when I was 17 and I bought a wedding dress home one day.
I wasn't engaged and I wasn't planning ahead. I presented it to my mum and said 'I want to dye this black, make it into a ball gown and dress up as Death'. (I'd found it in a charity shop – don't panic about the expense!). She didn't freak out, but proverbially rolled up her sleeves. My mum got out the baby bath for dying clothes, and helped me all summer as I spent hours chopping off that train and sewing it to fit. It's one of the best costumes I've ever made. And I think that confidence that I can make any crazy thing . So I'd like to thank her for never pushing my ideas smaller. This year I'm building a suit of armour for ComicCon in my living room and it's the most complicated costume yet. I can't wait to show her.



Katherine Of Corgis and Cocktails says:

"It's in the past, there is nothing you can do about it, Kasey."  I have many little things I heard often from my mom growing up. Learning to let things go and not get to me was one of the biggest lessons, and something I heard throughout high school that took me awhile to get. My mom always taught me that I cannot control everything, and that dwelling on it is just affecting me in a worse way than it's worth. She always taught me to stand on my own two feet and take control of what I can, but not let mistakes from my past ruin my future. From instilling her own financial genius into me (having an accountant mom is wonderful because she started helping me build credit for later in life at a young age - which I am HUGELY thankful for) to traveling the US with me as I learned to drive, I definitely see how much I have taken after my mom. And I love that - I think my thirst for adventure and ambition come straight from her.


Samantha of Banged Blonde remembers: 

I was raised by a single mother, so there's plenty to discuss in that regard! One thing though about my mother that I will always be thankful for and value the lessons I learned from are the many camping trips she took my sister and I on.  With two young girls and a beagle, my mom would set up the tent, chop all the wood, make dinner, and build the fire. Watching her do all these activities with what seemed to be an inexhaustible amount of energy just instilled in me this great sense of female empowerment. I'll always cherish those camping trips. 

6 comments

  1. This was an absolutely beautiful post Kristian! you seriously have the best ideas for posts. That's really awesome that your mom went back for her master's w/ you & your sis so young and I love what you wrote about the lessons that taught you. i loved all the other stories as well, the grand piano sure did teach Kerry a lot of valuable life lessons and I loved the stories of strong women teaching their daughters life lessons, whether by actions or words.

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    1. This really was one of my favorite Q+As because I think everyone shared such specific incidences and seeing how it shaped them is very interesting. I'm glad you enjoyed it Dus!

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  2. Aw this is great! Just seeing it now and will link it up to social media community this upcoming week. Thanks for including me! And thank you to Mitla Moda above for her sweet thoughts :) xo

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  3. I've always admired your mom!

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    1. Thanks; I've always admired Nancy so we are lucky!

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