for my mother.

i know that mother's day was a couple of days ago, but my sister+i are taking my mom out next week.. and also, my mom deserves to be celebrated more than just on one sunday a year.

some of you have probably heard of the five love languages. a christian author has written a few books basically about how we each show+appreciate love. he created five different love "languages"--gifts, physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service. my mom told us constantly about these five love languages, and i guarantee you that each of my sisters+i can not only tell you about the five love languages but also tell you which order ours are in. :)

all that to say.. my mom is a words of affirmation person. and so as another mother's day gift.. i give you a blog devoted to my mother+what i have learned from her. :)


wherever you are, be all there.
this is a quote from jim elliot, a missionary who was killed years ago. it is also the phrase that my mom has repeated to my sisters+me for our entire lives. and as i have grown older, i have learned to appreciate it even more.

my mind can get the best of me sometimes--just completely jumbled, not focused. and after i add in myself being worried, being nervous about the future or how the past has affected me, i can just be a mess. but this quote reminds me that the present, this very moment, is where i need to be.

my mom has also used this quote whenever my sisters+i would travel or be living elsewhere. she taught me the importance of community+of using the resources around me, especially people. with this quote, i was constantly reminded that i can do the most good wherever i am+how important it is to fully be there.


a ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what it's meant for.
since we were really young, our mom told us this. she taught us that we were meant for something bigger than average. she made sure we knew that we had strengths+gifts+talents that needed to be shared, and she pushed us to do that.

even though i look back at my high school years+wish that i hadn't been quite as involved or quite as pressured, i know that my mom was also teaching me confidence. and i know that she was showing me that i could do things that i didn't think i could. and because of that, i am confident today as i look for jobs, as i think about what i want to do for the rest of my life.

my mom pushed us to travel, to have new experiences, to meet new people. she+my dad made sure we could do these things, and some of my best memories+life changing experiences came from me taking that extra step.

everyone has a story, and that story is important.
this is probably my favourite thing that my mom would tell me+has taught me. she used to tell me to imagine everyone with a sign on themselves saying "make me feel important." this taught me that individuals were important, and every individual deserved to feel+know that.

it also taught me that i have a story, and my story is important. she taught me that not only should i give others respect by listening to them+talking with them+asking them questions but i should also surround myself with people who give me that same respect.

if you know anything about me, you know that i love people. i love connections with people, i love talking with people, i love being surrounded by people. and there is no doubt in my mind that i get this from my mom. both of us feel most at home when we are in a coffee shop or with people.

words are important.
my mom taught me that not only should i be aware of using proper grammar, but i should use words carefully because they hold power. she taught me that i need to be positive towards others because they remember what i said. she taught me that i need to use my words to describe+process my feelings because that gives me a greater understanding of myself+can help others understand me, too.

my mom writes devotions that she sends out to so, so, so many people each day. she uses her words each+every day, and she thinks carefully about what she says. i know that the way i used my words to write my literature papers, to write my poems for slam poetry, to write notes to friends+my boyfriend, and to write these blogs.. she taught me.



i am the daughter in my family most like my mom. i feel deeply, i love deeply, i connect with everyone+everything. i constantly want to know more, i want to be around people.

for those of you who have been my close friends in the past few years, you also know that my mom+i have had our differences. my views on faith+religion have changed quite a bit since i was in high school+even college, and i know that this has has confused/frustrated/saddened my mom more than she probably admits to me. but i also know that it has allowed my mom+me to have more honest conversations than we may have ever had before, and i know that is has given us a different kind of understanding+respect for each other, too.


my mom is a strong woman. to put it very simply, she did not have the greatest life growing up, but she has turned it around. she is definitely one person i always want on my side, and i know without a doubt that she always will be.

she made sure that my sisters+i knew that we would always be each other's best friends, and we are. but she has also made sure that we knew that she would always, always, always be there for us in whatever way we need her. and i have never doubted that, and i never will.


i am so thankful for my mom for teaching me how to be who i am, how to love others and how to do good in this world.