My Mother's Hands

These are my mother’s hands. Through these hands I have learned the most important thing about being a mother...

Until being blessed with my two crazy little boys, I used to think the ease at which my parents and grandparents raised me was just second nature. My maternal grandmother and my mother are largely the reason that I wanted to have my own children. At a very young age, I learned that the most important thing in life is FAMILY. Fast forward 30 something years and here I am, wondering how the heck they did it with such grace. My grandmother has since passed on, but I know she would say Laughter. LAUGHTER is how she did it with grace. She was always laughing and to this day can still remember the sound of it. My mother on the other hand, would say Wine.. and lot of it! (This actually was her answer to me about a year ago when I asked how she managed when I left home to attend college). My gosh she is funny and honest and...funny! Many of my friends and patients know my mom and every single one of them loves her! She is simply the best. The perfect dichotomy of traits: strong but gentle, kind but fair, considerate but fiercely honest, confident but vulnerable.
If I had to pick one beloved piece of advise from her to help me in motherhood, it would be what she has spent her entire life as a mother showing me: SELFLESSNESS.
My goal is for my boys to see what I saw from my mother; that they are my number one priority, that no matter what I care about what they are thinking, and that my greatest passion in life is them.
As a practitioner, I think it's important to remind mothers that being selfless doesn't mean loosing yourself. Making sure that you are still you is key. I still enjoy the things that make me who I am, just in smaller doses. I know that when I am my best, my boys are their best.
​In the spirit of my grandmother, don't forget to throw in some laughter too. Laugh at yourself, don’t get too serious, and remember that your children will learn more about watching you then you could ever tell them!

Wishing all the mothers a very heartfelt and happy Mother’s Day!