“The Mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.” – Henry Ward Beecher

All of us had a mother and, hopefully we were raised by a loving, blessed mother we remember with joy… or perhaps by a grandmother, aunt, or loving female mentor who showed us “mother love.” It’s unlikely any of us had a perfect mother, despite the romantic sonnets of bards and poets of the past, but most of us can look back and see the strengths and virtues of our mothers and realize the valuable principles, morals, and wisdom our mothers taught to us. If we look back and see some of their mistakes, we can learn from those, too, and not repeat them in our own lives. I think all mothers deserve a hand for simply taking on the job of motherhood at all. It is one of the hardest, most thankless jobs in the universe. Even in our world today, when most mothers also work outside the home and fathers share more of the child-rearing and home responsibilities, mothers still carry the bulk of the responsibility of childcare, including shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, and shuffling children to all their outside activities.

As kittens, geese, or other animals learn and imprint from their mothers, we learn from the mothers who raise us. Our mothers, whether they realize it or not, are our teachers. They model the way we should live and think. They teach us what is important not only by their words but by their example. For most of us, our mother’s voice, words of love, encouragement, caution, and concerns, are ever in the background of our minds. A mother’s teaching, especially if it is good, strong, and true, can have a powerful impact on a life. George Washington said, “All I am I owe my mother. I attribute all my successes in life to the moral, intelligent and physical education I received from her.” Others have also written beautiful words about their mothers. John Wesley said: “My mother was the source from which I derived the guiding principles of life.” I doubt either of their mothers, caught up in the busyness of their days, the demands of childrearing and life, realized they were making such an impact on their sons, but the inescapable fact is: Mothers teach us and they make a difference in our lives.

As little children we lean to and look up to our mothers, loving to hold our mother’s hand and to listen to her read to us, bringing her little bouquets of flowers from the yard, writing her love-notes, and sharing with her all the thoughts and happenings of our day. As we grow older and more independent, we naturally pull away, establishing our own identity, detaching, and seeing with time our mothers in a less idealistic way. Oddly, as we age, and I think especially after we lose our mothers, we look back and see them more idealistically again, realizing all they gave to us, all they gave up to raise us, all the good and worthwhile teachings they planted into our lives and nurtured. We acknowledge even more then how they shaped us, in part, to be what we are today. We are more ready to sing their praises and give them honor for it.

As I grew older, I thanked my mother on many occasions for the lessons she taught me, the love she gave freely, and for the good, virtuous, loving example of her life she ever modeled before me. It was often my mother who was there, standing beside me in the darkest times. Washington Irving wrote: “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity.” I’m blessed to look back and remember my mother was always there for me in good times and bad, and was also my friend.

What did your mother teach you? Have you ever thought about it seriously beyond admonitions like “Don’t put your elbows on the table,” “Remember to wipe your feet,” and “Don’t forget to say please and thank you.” I decided to see if I could think of things my mama taught me, and here is my list of ten things I am especially grateful for.

1. THE LOVE OF FAMILY

From the first my mother modeled and taught the importance of the love of family. Respect, love, and thoughtfulness was expected in our home and the concept of “honor your father and mother” was well taught. Both my parents had been raised in large, loving families and I saw the love of family ever modeled, too, in visits to the homes of grandparents, aunts and uncles.

2. A LOVE AND APPRECIATION OF NATURE

Mother and dad both had a love for nature and the outdoors. They loved their yard and garden, and mother, especially, loved flowers. Her knowledge, and her awareness of appreciation for the natural world around her was often voiced. From my earliest years, she took me around the yard and garden teaching me about God’s beautiful creation, making me feel linked to the earth.

3. A LOVE FOR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS

Most people who knew my mother remark about her hospitality, friendliness, caring, and her willingness to open her home, cook and share a meal, take gifts of food, flowers, or plants to others. She modeled the joy of sharing, opening her life and heart to others, ready to listen, and always ready to help. She loved people and cared for them with a genuine warmth and love.

4. A LOVE FOR WORDS AND EDUCATION

Mother appreciated the beauty of written words, the privilege of education and learning of all kinds. She loved poetry and could quote many long poems, passages of literature, and she sang the words to songs and hymns freely, teaching them to my brother and me, too. It was always expected in our home that we would value growing in knowledge and give our best in school.

5. A STRONG FAITH TO GUIDE YOUR LIFE

How blessed I was from the first to always be aware of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the life of my mother and father. Both strong Christians, the concept of God’s love and that He wanted to guide and lead us every day was always instilled in me. I saw it in mother’s life, and dad’s, the basis for their actions, decisions, how they patterned their days.

6. HOW TO LOVE OTHERS

I always saw a selflessness in my mother’s life, my dad’s too, both ever ready to share with others, to give to and help others. People talking about loving others is not as powerful as the example shown of truly loving others in action. At home, at church, in our neighborhood, at my school, mother was always there giving of her talents, time, and caring, a powerful teaching.

7. A GOOD WORK ETHIC TO LIVE BY

My mother often quoted the old proverb: “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” and she modeled a life of busy hands and work. After I was born, my mother, a former home economics teacher, stayed at home, but she worked at home diligently. She seldom had idle hands and chided me, too, if I did. She sewed, cooked, gardened, and gave time to church and civic efforts.

8. HOW TO VALUE CREATIVE WORKS

Many of mother’s work efforts were creative ones. She wrote letters, created lessons and teachings for church and Bible school, put up vegetables, excelled in the garden and the Garden Club she belonged to. She made many of my clothes, was a gifted seamstress and craftswoman. She modeled the Oslo quote: “To be creative means to be in love with life.”

9. THE IMPORTANCE OF A DISCIPLINED LIFE

My mother and my father lived a disciplined daily life. Time was not a commodity to be wasted and life and talents too precious not to be used. Frivolous, time-wasting activities were frowned upon as life was short and much good to be accomplished. Mother believed in a disciplined life of healthy eating, physical activity, reading, study, and time out-of-doors to be blessed by nature.

10. TO REACH FOR YOUR. BEST

The stories Mother told and read to me, and her example, were filled with the concept of always doing your best in life, of using your talents wisely and well, of being a good, moral person, working to make the world a better place, caring for others, trusting God, following Him and trying in all things to strive for excellence, and never settling for less than one’s best.

These nuggets of wisdom I know I learned at home. Later, I think I tried to shrug off a lot of them, but then as I came to know the Lord personally and began to grow more in my faith, I found these same bits of wisdom ingrained in all the Biblical teachings I gained. I realized then how many of the things Mama taught me were a reflection of the wisdom of God her own mother, my grandmother, had taught to her. What a lovely legacy can be passed down.

My ongoing teacher now is the Lord, continuing to grow and refine me and to bring me to more good, true, and righteous knowledge to help me live the best life I can. So thanks to Mom for all she taught me, and to my dad, and all the good and righteous teachers along my way through life, to loving friends, and to all who have loved me and encouraged me to live a good and useful life.

“Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.” – Alexander Pope

Note: All photos my own, from royalty free sites, or used only as a part of my author repurposed storyboards shown only for educational and illustrative purposes, acc to the Fair Use Copyright law, Section 107 of the Copyright Act.