Lessons from Mother

My mother had to do the bulk of the parenting when I was growing up. Dad was the disciplinarian and seemed larger-than-life to me, but he was not home much.

Much of who I am I learned by observing my mom's example.

I don't really remember her saying I should do any certain thing or act any certain way. She taught us by living it out in front of us.

For instance, we were brought up to go to church every Sunday. Our first Sunday at church was the first Sunday we were home from the hospital. She took us no matter where we lived, even if she had to take us by herself. You had to be sick enough to have a temperature to stay home. I learned to be faithful to the house of God by watching her faithfulness.

We always wore our best on Sundays. We, meaning me, always had to wear those sponge-roller thingies in my hair all Saturday night to have curly hair for church Sundays. (Usually the rollers on one side of my head would fall out so my style was always lopsided.)

We had church clothes, school clothes and play clothes. When you got home from church or school you immediately changed into play clothes.

She wouldn't allow you to say "cuss" words. She would wash your mouth out with soap! (I wish parents did this nowadays, but unfortunately, they are the ones who teach those words to their kids by their example.) I learned to speak nicely by listening to her speech.

We didn't have big birthday parties or expensive gifts when we were kids but you always received something and she would make you a birthday cake and let you pick out the menu for the meal that night.

Speaking of meals, that brings me to one of the biggest influences Mom had on me that I continue with my family even now:

We ate at the Family Table, every night. We all sat at the table and ate together and talked every night of our lives. There was no eating in front of the TV. I learned the importance of prioritizing family time by her priorities.

Of course, in the interest of truthfulness in blogging, the television was on when my dad was there. Because, the News was ON and we must listen, so that cut down on the talking. But once Walter Cronkite signed off, dad was always ready to visit and tell stories and sometimes I'd be sitting at that table listening for an hour or more.

Because there is nothing I like better than stories. I just wish I had written them down!

Today's post was written in response to Writer's Workshop prompt # 3. Share a lesson you learned from your Mother that still sticks with you to this day. You can check out some amazing content on this and other prompts at Kat Bouska's blog, Mama's Losin' It.