INCLUSION & RESPECT | MAY 8, 2022

Celebrating All Moms, and Mine, This Mother’s Day

I had to fly to Baltimore yesterday to help my mom get home. She took a tumble while traveling and the fall was hard enough it broke her arm.

Juggling a life with three kids myself, this wasn’t the most convenient thing to have happen. We’re wrapping up a school year and the kids have all sorts of end-of-year activities to tie up. This little detour definitely cut into the middle of everything. And I was sad to miss my 9-year-old’s school performance and family picnic.

Mother walking baby — Photo by HTeam/Shutterstock.com

But in all honesty, I was grateful for the opportunity to help my mom. She is the anchor of our family. The creator of magical Christmases. The giver of great birthday gifts. She has a laugh that infects others with enthusiasm. It is a laugh that helped me get through the sad times in my life. She’s always there to help others and never asks for help herself. She’s been a BFF for me and my sister and my brother my whole life.

Fight for what you believe in. And stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

And as I flew east, changed planes, and worked my way toward her on this Mother’s Day weekend, it gave me a moment to reflect on what she has done for me across our 45 years together around the sun.

These are some of the lessons:

She taught me to go for it. There’s no such thing as patience, and patience is a waste of time. Just get the job done.
She taught me to stand up for myself. If I don’t like something, I have the power and strength to do something to change it.
She taught me to take the measure of people by their actions. If someone gossips to me, they will gossip about me. Don’t trust those people with secrets.
Love everyone equally. We all have faults and failures. There’s no point being selective about which faults are better or worse than others.
Be kind to people and offer your help. Sometimes they’re lonely and sad and need a smile or help with a bag.
Bring food and drinks to share. Life is more fun when it’s a picnic.
Fight for what you believe in. And stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. No one else will do it for you. And very few will do it for others.

These aren’t so much her rules for life as they are the way she lives her life and dictates it by her own terms.

Anyone who has ever met my mother knows her and remembers her. And every time they hear her name or think of her, there is always a smile on their face, and one in their voice, too.

Thanks to the amazing community of moms who got us there, and to ones working on guiding the next generation.

But what I find so interesting is that this characterization of my mom isn’t unique to my mom. She embodies so much that I admire, but also so much in what I see in other moms, too.

Just as my mom has left her mark in the lives of my friends, I can think of a dozen moms across my life who have left an indelible mark on me.

It does take a village to raise a child. And in this crazy world, that village is full of fierce, feisty, wonderful women who prod, cajole, encourage, educate, and ensure the incoming generation arrives at adulthood with the ability to survive.

Thanks to the amazing community of moms who got us there, and to the ones working on guiding the next generation.

And all my love to mine. You put my feet on the right road and I am forever grateful.

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AUTHOR

Jenny Good

Jenny Good is a Scientologist and professional writer. She was born in California, raised in Utah and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

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