Friday Five: Motherly Advice

I wanted to make this Friday Five a personal tribute to our own Mothers.  The five of us bloggers, having grown up together, had more than one Mom at any point in our teenage years.  More than one Mom to talk to, to complain to and to hear the sage old advice of what we should do and what we shouldn't.  It was nice to know that so many people cared about us!  So this week I gave a challenge to my fellow contributors.  What was the best piece of advice your Mom has given you?

There are five of us, which means that this week is dedicated to our Moms.  You know who you are and how much we appreciate you.  We love you, and want you to know that the things that you stayed up nights worrying about, stuck with us.  We listened and we learned.  We just want to say thank you, over and over again.  Happy Mother's Day!

1. Ali's Mom: The Giver of Clarity
Recently, I was lamenting to my mom about my constant fear that everyone is going to see me only for my mistakes, problems and shortfalls. My mom let me finish and asked, "Do you dwell on your own problems or someone elses?" Of course, I fired back, "My own! I think about them constantly!" To which she said, "Exactly. No one is focusing our your mistakes and problems- they're too busy focusing on their own." I had never stopped to think about this before and it was a true moment of clarity.

 

2. Chloe's Mom: The Giver of Knowledge

Finish school. She'd never say this, but to paraphrase, "just ******* do it." So I did it and I'm so glad I did.

 

3. Stefanie's Mom: The Giver of Happiness

Follow your gut and don't worry about what other people think.  I know that I have been hearing those words since I was pretty little.  My mom is the kind of person that will take the burnt piece of toast so that no one else has to eat something less appetizing.  She is always making other people feel good and focusing on fixing the problems of others.  Whenever I get worried that I am not doing the right thing or upset over how someone made me feel she reminds me that I know myself better than anyone else.  "Follow your gut Stefanie, and you will never be unhappy."

 

4. Britta's Mom: The Giver of Support
Part of the unspoken definition of Mom is "to support." It isn't so much in the saying as it is in the doing- from reading this blog daily to jointly embarking on small business proprietorship, Mom is there to support and encourage.

5. Ashley's Mom: The Giver of Friendship
Sometimes you just need a friend and you find it in Mom. As someone who knows you, and has been-there-done-that, Mom always makes for a good girls night full of advice and fun. From Manicures to Margaritas to Macy's, Mom is the perfect companion.