What We Learned From Our Mothers (or Even Grandmothers)

Discussion in 'Family & Relationships' started by Yvonne Smith, Apr 2, 2016.

  1. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I have been thinking about this for some time now. We have one of those threads where we tell about things we remember from our childhood, and one of the things that I wrote about was my mom growing fruit and berries, and sending me down the street with bowls of fresh raspberries and other fruit.
    This started me to thinking what a wonderful example my mother was, and since we are working our way closer and closer to Mother's Day, I thought I would start this thread where we can write about our mothers.
    Of course, some of us may have had other people who were an inspiration in our lives, grandparents, or other relatives who helped shape our lives when we were growing up; so this thread can be for any relative (or other person) that was someone that you looked up to and admired.

    My mother was a giver.
    She set aside her tithes in her Bible, and when people came that needed a hand financially, she used that money for helping people. We had a little old-fashioned neighborhood store, and so Mom always knew what families might been some extra food, or a few groceries "on the tab".
    I think that we probably didn't do much more than pay the bills and feed ourselves with the store; because she was always helping families where the father was out of work, and they needed food to eat.

    Our house was on a large double lot, and we had apples, pears, plums, cherries, and apricots. Mom grew raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb and grapes. When any fruit was ripe, we harvested it, and she would send me down the street to someone's house with a huge bowl of the fresh fruit or berries.
    Mom also loved flowers, and on Memorial Day, she would make up tubs of flower bouquets for everyone to take to the cemetery and put on graves.

    She was also a business person, and bought real estate. We had rental houses, and again, there was always renters who were having financial hardship and needed help.
    Sometimes, we had to take care of other kids. I remember one summer, we had about eleven other kids that we took care of for the summer. I don't remember what was the problem with the mothers; but they needed help, and my mom was there for them.

    My dad would get frustrated and say that Mom was just a "patsy" for anyone who wanted something. Mom would say that she would rather help 5 people who didn't need it than to not help one person who did need it, and whom she could help.
    I will never be the person that my mother was; but her love and compassion for other people has been the main factor in shaping me into the person that I am today.
     
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  2. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    My Mother taught me the meaning of "unconditional love" and self-sacrifice as she lived this out in her own life. She taught me how to be frugal, how to share with others, and how to be content with what I have. She passed down her love of babies and reading to me as well as her cooking skills. From her I learned that being a Mother was one of life's greatest blessings and being a grandmother was one of life's greatest joys. I don't think I fully appreciated the wonderful Mom and woman she was until after she died but I am glad I got to tell her how much she meant to me and that she was a great Mom to all nine of her children before it was to late.

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    Last edited: Apr 21, 2016
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