5 Things We Learned From Our Mothers

This Sunday (5/9/2021) is Mother’s Day. Here is your friendly reminder — Don’t forget mom!

Mother’s Day in the United States is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. While other countries celebrate mothers on different days, the sentiment is the same. We wouldn’t be the people we are today without the loving guidance of mother figures.

5 Things We Learned From Our Mothers

Celebrating Mother’s Day is more than making a phone call or a quick visit to express your love. While taking those actions should be the first thing you do, also take the time to remember everything you’ve learned from your mother.

There is a lot to be thankful for, but let’s highlight just 5 simple lessons learned from mothers around the world:

1. Don’t Be Late

Kids hardly see the need to be punctual, and if it weren’t for mothers, they might never learn. Punctuality is an essential trait for both college and maintaining a job, and kids who struggle to be on time tend to struggle in those areas and more. So sorry you had to be at church half an hour early each Sunday, but you were taught a good lesson from it.

Even with the best parenting in the world, punctuality can be elusive when balancing a busy schedule. If you continue to struggle with timeliness despite your mother’s best wishes, put that Calendar to work.

Adjust your morning routine to get up and going earlier each morning if you’re failing to make it to work or classes on time. An evening schedule laid out in your Calendar will stop late-night Netflix binges, so morning doesn’t come too soon.

Finally, set reminders for every important meeting and event you have planned, so you never miss one again.

2. There’s Joy in Serving Others

Mothers are almost always looking out for someone other than themselves. Think back to your younger days and count all the things your mother did for you. Cooking meals, doing laundry, driving you to school or a friend’s house, the list goes on and on. The work was always tough, but joy could be found knowing she served the people she loves the most.

In your life today, you can find great joy from serving others. It doesn’t always have to be immediate family, although they are the people most worth serving. Start by using your Calendar to plan random acts of kindness for your own family members. You’ll feel extreme happiness as you see their faces light up thanks to your efforts.

If you want to kick your service up a notch, look at ways to give back to your local community. There’s a deep sense of purpose and accomplishment when you give back that’s well worth pursuing. Pick up garbage off the highway, assist a local homeless shelter, or lace up an apron for a weekend at the soup kitchen. Note how you feel during and after each event and use that as fuel to fill up your Calendar with even more quality events.

3. Hard Work Pays Off

Did your mom ever force you to take piano lessons? If so, you probably recall doing your fair share of complaining and trying to get out of practice. All the while, your mother would be telling you that you’d regret not working hard at your craft in the future when you look back and wish you had continued.

This example extends beyond piano lessons. You’ll find as you grow older that your mother was always right about hard work paying off. Summer evenings in the garden, long nights doing homework, and Saturdays full of chores never seemed fun in those “kid” moments.

However, you’ll look back and be glad your mom toughened you up and built your character to take on the responsibilities of adulthood she was trying to prepare you for.

4. Education is Important

Speaking of homework and hard work, mothers are expert teachers and educational motivators. There’s probably a class or two you wouldn’t have passed if it weren’t for your mom bugging you to do homework or working through a difficult assignment with you. Mothers do this because they understand the importance of education in shaping your future.

Student debt and questionable degrees aside, constant learning is one of the best habits you can form. Learning new details about your industry of choice or studying a valuable skill is the kind of self-improvement that helps you succeed in life. Remember that your mom wasn’t passionate about trigonometry; she was passionate about helping you become the best person you can be through education.

Use your Calendar to continue learning every day. Set aside time to watch an educational YouTube video or read a peer-reviewed journal. Attend classes and get certificates that will help you advance your career. With every step forward you take, your mother will be shining with pride.

5. Family is Everything

A mother’s love is unconditional. You don’t think she paired your socks for you and spent hours in the kitchen for fun, did you? She did all of these things and more because of the love she had for her family.

You can probably count numerous occasions where your mother made personal sacrifices to care for the family as a whole. Spending less time with friends, putting a career on hold, or dedicating less time to hobbies are just many of the things mothers do to prioritize family.

How are you prioritizing family time? Work-life balancing became a primary concern in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. People were reminded just how short and precious life can be and took measures to make more time for family. Working from home, reducing hours to attend soccer games, and managing time at home more effectively are all ways people are making sure family is at the top of their priority list.

Be sure to schedule something special in your Calendar for this Mother’s Day. Then, use your Calendar to put the lessons your mother taught you to work. She’s already very proud of you and will be even more proud as you strive to become better every day.

[Related: The Best Ways for Moms to Manage Their Time and Avoid Burnout]

Image Credit: ketut subiyanto; pexels; thank you!