Written by Trish Eklund
May is the month for leaves on the trees, warmer days, and appreciating the mothers in your life. Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs in the world, yet it is also the most rewarding. I feel honored to be able to help two beautiful human beings grow into intelligent, kind, funny, and talented adults. Being a mom is truly a privilege. Sometimes I don’t feel worthy of my daughters, and I never forget to be grateful and appreciate my girls.
I feel that one of the most important aspects of parenting is remaining open-minded. Parents are supposed to prep their children to become adults, to teach them about life and self-reliance. I have been a mom for fourteen years, and I think they have taught me just as much as I have taught them. I am a better person from sharing life with my children.
Here are some of the things I have learned from my daughters:
- Here are some of the things I have learned from my daughters:
- It is important to act silly, even when I don’t feel like it. My girls and I make up songs together, make faces at each other, and tell silly jokes.
- To laugh. My girls are both funny, and we make it a point to laugh every day.
- Honesty is important, especially to my youngest.
- To nurture talent, even when the talent is in a subject I know nothing about. I am a creative person, not an athlete. Through my girls I have learned that you don’t have to understand a talent to nurture it.
- Love means letting go. My eldest daughter is fourteen. I am learning from my teenager to pick my battles, to only fight for the important issues. As children become young adults, you have to begin to trust them and allow them to make some decisions on their own.
- I am stronger than I ever could have imagined.
What I try to teach them that I hope they remember:
- To forgive themselves and others.
- To go after their dreams, even when there isn’t a soul who understands them.
- To always love reading.
- To route for the under-dog.
- To measure their accomplishments by what they have learned, not by what they bought.
- To practice acceptance of people who don’t always deserve it.
- To never give up on something they can’t go a day without thinking about.
- To dance in the rain, sing in the shower, and laugh when no one else laughs.
- To pay attention to the people who love and support them, and not to those who don’t.
- To take care of their skin! Seriously, wear moisturizer.
- To listen to their gut–it will never steer you wrong.
I am blessed to have two daughters. I love you girls!
Feature Photo, Painting by Kim Berggren