What Did You Learn From Your Mother?

On the second Sunday of May, we celebrate Mother's Day.  The idea behind Mother's Day is for each of us to take the time to thank the person who brought us into this world and/or cared for us when we were young (and even when we're grownups).

 A mother's love is one of the greatest gifts you can receive.  With it, you can learn so much about yourself and about life.  But most of all, a mother's love can give you an infinite amount of memories that last a lifetime.  Think about it:

 While you were growing up as her son, did your mother...

 Make sure to tuck you under the covers and kiss you good night?  Turn on the lights and save you from the monster in the closet or under the bed?

 Wake you up each morning so you didn't miss the school bus?  Pack your lunchbox every day?  Embarrass you in front of your friends with a kiss goodbye?

 Never let you give up?  Encourage you to stand up for yourself?  Explain to you the difference between confidence and arrogance?  Remind you that even though you're a boy, it's okay to cry?

 Tell you to be chivalrous and always open the door for a lady?  Teach you how to dance without bopping up and down?  Show you how to treat a woman with respect?

 Punish you (unfairly) for staying out past curfew?  Help you learn a valuable lesson, even if you didn't realize it until years down the road?

 While you were growing up as her daughter, did your mother...

 Show you how to put on lipstick?  Let you paint your nails?  Say that you were the prettiest girl in the world?  Tell you that you can be anything you want to be when you grow up?

 Wipe the tears from your eyes after you fell off your bicycle for the first time?  Practice ballet dance moves with you until your feet hurt?  Talk to you about the true meaning of patience and grace?

 Teach you how to bake your first cake?  Attend your first tea party with your dolls?  Joke with you that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?

 Buy you the "coolest" looking clothing, although she may not have liked it?  Drive you to the mall with your friends?  Plan a girls-only sleepover party?

 Take pictures of you before every high school dance?  Cry with you after your first big breakup?  Hold you and let you know that everything was going to be alright? 

 This Mother's Day, instead of simply expressing your gratitude to your mother with a card or flowers - honor her by living your life the way she'd want you to live it.