[Sole Inspiration] Dedication to Mom

Hi there!

How has your weekend been so far?  It looks like my theme for this weekend will be mothers, so if you are a mother, and even if you're not, I hope that you are having a great one!

My mother has always been stylish. She is beautiful and still looks great.  Looking back, she reminds me of Jackie Kennedy as far as poise and elegance, and she really is the original Martha Stewart! She kept an impeccable home, ironed the clothes religiously, and was one who folded the fitted sheets so perfectly, you couldn't tell the difference between them and the flat sheets on the shelf! For church or any event, she was always dressed classically and tastefully, never over the top.

My mother was the glue that kept the family close, and was always accommodating, allowing my friends to come over anytime to just hang out. Growing up, I remember mom hosting dinner parties that were so gorgeous and well organized. For the Thanksgiving or Christmas meal at home, we always had to dress up nicely, shoes and all.

I also recall friends telling me that they never liked the clothes their mothers would pick out for them. Not me...I always liked what my mom chose for me!  One day, my mother and I were at Thrifty picking up some shampoo, or something or another. I was about eight at the time, and I found a dress as I wandered down the aisles. I pulled the dress off the rack and proceeded to find my mom to ask her if she could buy it for me.  She said to me, "Oh, not here. We will go to Bullock's and I'll get you a dress there". I have to say that I was disappointed, but when we went to Bullock's Pasadena, I knew she was right! This was a real place to buy a dress!

My mom is so funny. A few years ago, she complemented me on an Isaac Mizrahi dress.  I told her I had gotten it at Target, and she said, "Oh, that's a nice dress! But you shouldn't say you bought it at Target...just tell them you got it at Macy's!". Now I'm not above buying a dress at the same store I purchase my shampoo at, and I do love to entertain, but even though I like to have a beautiful, well organized presentation, I am more casual than my mom. I have my own approach and point of view, but what my mom taught me was good style, great hospitality, cleanliness & organization, and the importance of family & friends.

"You never appreciate all of the things your mother did for you until you find yourself doing the same things for your kids." - Linda Poindexter

Our mothers can both inspire us and frustrate us. As a mother, I now have the privilege of understanding this from both points of view.  It's also ironic how roles can be reversed as we get older. I was able to experience these things the last couple of visits with them. When my parents were here for Thanksgiving, she told me she had been asked to speak at the nursing pinning & dedication ceremony at her alma mater in the Philippines. When she told me she would probably decline because of her reluctance to speak, I felt frustrated, but as she opened up and shared her feelings with me, I realized that my mother was just like anyone else. A human being with doubts and insecurities that prevent us from tackling opportunities and facing challenges, thus staying in our comfort zone and never growing. I told her that if she declined their invitation to speak, the school and faculty would undoubtedly be disappointed. 


I actually lectured her and told her she was selling herself short.  I went on by saying she had done so much, including organizing and going on medical mission trips, as well as being my father's right hand while he was president of their school's alumni association.  If for no other reason, I told her to take this speech on as a challenge and to serve as an inspiration to her grandchildren.  Fast forward to this past weekend, and I'm happy to say that my mother heeded my advice.  She even relayed the story of our conversation, telling the audience, " As a mother, I used to give my children advice, now they are the ones giving me advice.  Someone said that when your children give you advice, you better listen!  After due consideration and prayer, I accepted the invitation to be your speaker.."  My mother proudly recited her speech to her grandchildren and I could tell that she was proud of it, as we were all proud of her.  

Sometimes it's hard to express how one feels about their mother.  I found this quote that pretty much explains it for me.
"Mom, for all the time I didn't thank you either because I was too young or too busy or just didn't find the words, today I thank you for all you've done for me.  Now that I'm older, I realize more and more everything you did, everything you gave, and most important, everything you stand for and I love you and thank you with all of my grateful heart." - Jennifer Fujita

We all are daughters or sons, and we all grow up.  We carry the things we learned from our mothers, good and bad, and just try our best to live our life and make them proud.  But whether we are mothers or fathers, daughters or sons, we have to be who we are and be happy with that.  It's a balance because who we are is a compilation of our upbringing, our experiences, and the roles we have, along with the expectations that come with that.  In the end, we need to be true to ourselves, keep those we love close, and lean on God or whatever we believe in.  A great mother will be someone who makes us realize this and inspires us to be the person they already know we are, and in return, maybe we can also do the same for them.

If you are lucky enough to still have your mother around, let her know how you feel, because those of you who don't have your mothers with you anymore truly understand what a precious gift a mother is.  Have a blessed day and thank you for visiting and being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl