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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 06 2007 : 3:07:07 PM
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Being a new mom has given me opportunity to reflect on many things. One of the things that keeps entering my mind is Family and those family members that made us who we are today.
One thing that really made me realize how lucky I am was a conversation with my mom. As I was driving her up to Spokane to fly back home at the end of her visit here a week or so ago, we started taking about parenting and parenting styles. I told her that I really want to emulate her parenting style because I have so many wonderful memories from growing up and while sometimes I hated the discipline growing up- it kept me inline and there were many times that I could have gotten in trouble, but stopped because I _knew_ my parents would find out. Both of my parents raised us girls in a loving environment with discipline and accountability for our actions.
Anyway- one thing I found out in this discussion with my mom was that she tried to do many things different than her mother. Now, please don't get the wrong impression of my grandmother. She is a wonderful person and she loves her family very much. However, my great-grandmother, it turns out, was not such a nice person. My great-grandmother was an abusive mother and therefore my grandmother did not have much of a chance to learn good parenting techniques by example.
I feel so blessed that my mother cared enough about us girls that she worried about her parenting styles, that she was strong enough to admit when she was wrong, and strong enough to hold her ground when she had to say "No." I feel blessed that I have an artistic mother who taught me to see beauty in all things- from the sunset to a flattened enamelware coffee pot in an abandoned mining town. I am so lucky to have a mother who found opportunities for me to have hands on learning like going to fossil, dinosaur and anthropology digs.
I love my mother very much and am thankful that I have her in my life. I hope that I can pass on the same type of love and caring that she gave to me to my daughter.
I guess it is the season to be thinking about our Moms :) I am going to be thinking about this topic a bit more. I hope to solidify some of my ideas in to a mother's day essay or poem for my mom. I know she doesn't need more items so I don't want to just buy her a gift, but I think everyone always appreciates knowing that they have impacted someone's life in a positive way. Especially considering how much grief I put her through in High School! (sorry again Mom!)
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Edited by - Alee on Apr 06 2007 3:17:46 PM |
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Mothers
