mothers

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend, regardless of your state in life. I think it is sad when people think that you have to be a mother to celebrate this wonderful day. To me, it is more of a celebration of the women in our life, and those innate qualities that make women unique and special, regardless of the roles they hold.

Something else that was on my mind a lot, was how much I appreciated my own mother's example to me in the way that she treated me. I think too often, parents can slip into the mistake of viewing their children almost as a possession, or with an inappropriate sense of ownership. Not that I don't understand where those feelings come from, but I think it can often lead to a lot of unhappiness and disappointment for both parents and children.

My mother always made a point of emphasizing her responsibility and stewardship to me as my mother instead of claiming me and all I did as a direct extension of herself. She respected my individuality and the uniqueness of my spirit, and always stressed how blessed she was to have the opportunity to associate with such wonderful children.

I will be eternally grateful to her for this amazing insight. I wanted to become the best I could be, because she saw me as someone capable of doing so and equal to herself in every way. I hope I can do the same not only for my children, but for everyone whom I have the opportunity to influence.