Do you know which ‘teacher’ I’m talking about?
When you fall over as a child and bump, bruise, and tear skin from your bone, who do you run too?
Your dad?
He will tell you to buck it up and rub some dirt on it. No, you run to your mum who will (most likely) empathize with you and put a band-aid on it. And if you are lucky, she will kiss it better.
To all the mums out there who have done this and more, Happy Mother’s Day yesterday. Not only are you their caregiver but probably your child’s best teacher.
My Mum
She has no idea that I am writing this, but if she reads it, I better keep it clean and tell no lies. Or she might track me down and have a few stern words to say.
This past Mother’s Day has me thinking about all the life lessons my mother taught enforced on me.
While my parents were together, my mum shielded me and my siblings as a best she could from my father’s madness. My dad was not often around when I was a small child (because he was earning a living) and she was our primary caregiver.
She would cook, clean, help us with our homework and made sure we got to school even when we did not want to. From this I learnt that you should put others before yourself, even when the odds are stacked against you.
My mother also played guitar and when I took it up, she made me practice an hour every weeknight, even when I did not want to. She put me ahead of herself so I could get better at guitar. She taught me you always have to put in the work, even when you don’t feel like it.
Other Stuff She Taught Me
Let us just say I wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed growing up from a child to a teenager to a functioning adult. I was naïve about a ton of stuff and did not have much of an idea about how to take care of myself.
My mum put a quick stop to that. She made taught me to
· Clean
· Cook
· Iron
· Do laundry
· Budget
· Treat women well
· A sense of right and wrong and strong moral compass
And lots of other stuff that I am not going to mention for the sake of brevity, cleanliness, and embarrassment. My mother played a massive role into the husband, father, and person I am today.
For this, I am truly thankful.
Because if she were not around, I would truly be more of a bum than I already am. My mum was the best teacher to navigate this thing called life.
However, the moment she bugs the shit out of me again, I might change my tune. 😊
Wrapping up
Happy Mother’s Day yesterday to all the mum’s out there. And if your mum is still around and you’re still on speaking terms, give her a hug and tell her how thankful for her really are.
And yes, I’m still a mummy’s boy. I have the scars to prove it.
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