What Our Moms Taught Us
As Mother's Day approaches, all of us at TomboyX are feeling a little sentimental about our moms. Maybe you are too. Our moms have taught us more than we can remember, but we decided to share with you one thing each of our mothers taught us in our 20, 30, 40, etc. years of life. Here's our tribute to our strong, funny, inspiring mothers who have shaped us into the women we are today.
Growing up Cuban in NYC meant there was always food cooking at our home - morning, noon and night. The smells of sofrito, pollo fricassee, rice and beans, flan and more would spill out into our apartment hallway on the daily. My mom has passed down those generation old recipes to me and I’ll forever be grateful to her to be able to continue our family tradition in this way.
My mom has taught me to live life to it’s fullest, each and every day. She’s always up for adventure, or is creating it. Always with lots of laughter.
I think I've learned the most from my mom at challenging times in my life. My mom hasn't always been able to fix things for me (and I don't think she should!), but she's taught me about endurance. One of my go-to mantras comes from her—"This too shall pass." Ultimately whatever you are facing will end, and remembering that you WILL get through it, even if only by the passage of time, can be very comforting.
My mom was and is a fighter. She's pushed through some difficult situations in life, and always taught me to be a strong and honest person. My mom supports me in whatever I choose to do or be in life. She was the one who helped me unload my drums from the car at 2AM when I was in my first rock band as a kid, and let me practice in my bedroom. She's awesome.
My mom is a very curious person. She's always looking for the story behind that new actor or that unique sport or yes, that bread company. I have never known anyone who loves to learn more than she does, and it means we always have something to talk at length about even if I call her four times in one week. She taught me to always be curious about people, places, and things, and that life is more fun when your learning something every day.
My mother's physical and mental health have significantly deteriorated, but she remembers all her friends and family names. This is a part of what she has demonstrated to me -- the power of association and friendships. The first and second generation Japanese community is extremely strong, having shared the connection of internment which bound the community together in mutual survival. And out of this experience, she has demonstrated to me patience and perseverance, and the power of being a friend as much as sharing and giving unconditional respect.
My mom's kindness and selflessness is a guiding light in my life. In a world that doesn't always recognize the power of these qualities, she has taught me to always choose kindness first.