Mom's Know Best

--- June 2018 ---

Growing up, we're always told "mom knows best!" Honestly, I never agreed with this until I got a bit older. I was a stubborn daughter, that's for sure. My mom always taught me life lessons, as she called them, but I took them for granted. Looking back, I wish I wrote all of them down. (Can anyone relate?!) Since I did not do this, I decided to interview my mom for this blog post.

Remember that everyone has different experiences and opinions, so you don't have to agree with my thoughts or my mom's answers! Below are the questions I asked my mom and her responses (short and sweet for the sake of the blog!):

What's one piece of advice you wish I took as I was growing up?

• "The biggest one that sticks in my mind is to relax a bit more, don't be so uptight, just chill. The thing is to be yourself, ya know? Don't let anyone judge you." 

In what ways do you think I'm like you?

• "I never thought we were similar when you were growing up, but now as you get older I really think we are so similar. I think we are alike because you're headstrong like I am. You are focused."

What's a life lesson you had to let me learn on my own?

• "Friends are going to come and go and it's not the end of the world. When you drop one, you grow. This has made you stronger, but boy I tell ya you've had some rough times." 

What's something I should keep in mind when I become a mother, one day?

• "That you need to teach, but you need to not micromanage. They have to be able to learn and step outside of your box on their own. Give them wings!" 

What do you love most about YOUR mother?

• "This one is changing all of the time. I guess that she's my mother. It's like you always feel you can go home to mom and tell her anything, but sometimes you should filter. Haha. You don't feel that they judge you. The word I would use is safe."

If you could tell your 18 year old self one thing, what would it be?

• "To be me and pursue my goals and not care about what society says I need to be doing. To be me. I was a part of the female revolution, ya know? My mom encouraged me to grow my wings but she reeled me back in to being the typical 'woman' role. I never got strong enough to stand on my own two feet. I made great strides." 

What's a piece of financial advice you would give to people in their 20's?

• "It's a two parter - save and plan. Or plan and save." 

What's something that you admire(d) about me?

• "I guess it would be resiliency. I think you're a true fighter. You're very tender, but you are resilient." 

What should young females do before they turn 30?

• "Live on their own. Then they can really truly pursue everything they want to pursue before they get stuck in the mode that society creates. When you're married women do 'this' and men do 'that'. It's still like this. Be you, before you become us. If you wanna travel, travel. If you wanna go out on a Wednesday night, go out. Don't look back and say ugh I wish I did this and that. Do you. Be you. Pursue all of your goals or as many as you can. Be me, before we." 

Describe your life in 3 words.

• "Regrets. Content. Inquisitive. Curiosity. Adventurous." 
• "If you put a vehicle in front of me, I'm going to drive it. I'm going to do it. I'm curious. I get involved in things others wouldn't do." 

What do you think are some of the keys to happiness?

• "Wanting what you have in every aspect of your life. That includes your emotional state, your materialistic state, your social state. I'm very happy with what I have. Be happy with what you have. I think that's the biggest thing. You don't have to acquire things. Do things because YOU want to do them." 

What's the best part about being a mom?

• "The love. The unconditional love. It's indescribable" 
• "You love your cats, but it's so different when you have kids. I never felt it was work when I had children. Feeding, diapers, it was just different. You guys are mine, you're all mine. The best part about being a mom is the love, back and forth." 

I'd like to take a moment to thank my mom for everything she has done for me. Although I have definitely been a bit stubborn and hard-headed, I do appreciate and love you ❤️ You've always told me you're my "biggest cheerleader." I think you said it all when you talked about having our differences when I was growing up, but I'm more like you now than ever. You have taught me to be a strong-willed, independent woman who pushes herself out of her comfort zone. No matter the distance between us physically, you are my home. Thank you for giving me the wings to fly.

Use this as a sign to reach out to your own mother or someone 

who influenced you as you were growing up and thank them. 

Ask questions while you can, you won't regret it. 💕

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Want to know what else I wish I knew when I was younger? Read my Letter to Self!

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