It was beautiful outside that day. The sun was shining, and the birds were singing. Then, all of a sudden, a bolt of lightning struck me from out of nowhere. I heard these words, “Shut the door, were you raised in a barn?” coming out of MY mouth. I desperately wanted to be able to suck those words back into my mouth. In my head, I was shouting, “This can’t be, I sound like my mother! Arghh, I am becoming my mother!” How many times have you said to yourself, “Don’t ever become like your mother.” It isn’t that my mom is a bad person in any way, shape or form, but I have always insisted that I will never be like her. We don’t have the same taste in clothing, décor, music or anything else.
I sounded just like her. My mind flashed back to the numerous times my brother, and I would traipse in and out of the house for a drink of water, to go to the bathroom or get something to eat. We were kids who swung the door open but could never quite swing it shut. After all, we weren’t going to be inside for long. The funny thing was, it didn’t matter where Mom was in the house. She could always tell the door was open. It was as if she had supersonic hearing and x-ray eyes. We would get whatever we needed and get ready to run back out of the house only to hear her say, “Don’t slam the door!” I was always impressed she knew when we were going back out of the house too.
I thought it was a fluke at first, thinking I would never repeat anything else she said, but I was wrong. The older I became the more bits and pieces of her I found slipping out of my mouth. The next thing I knew, there came a day when we even shared the same opinion about something. I thought I was going to pass out with that revelation. The next thing I knew, I told her I liked her heels. What??? However, they were cute. They were black and white with little polka dots and very fashionable on her 5’3” frame. I love it that she loves blouses with sparkles and always dresses to the nines even if she is just going to her favorite hang-out, Wendy’s.
Then came the lipstick. My mom has worn lipstick as long as I can remember. Her color was called “Red Hot.” There weren’t many moms who wore that color, and everyone made comments about her lipstick. She was a confident woman who never allowed anyone else make her march to the beat of their drum. These days she has traded in her “Red Hot” lipstick for a more subtle tone, but she is still wearing lipstick and um, so am I. Yes, I’m the confident woman who now wears red lipstick and marches to the beat of my own drum.
I love bright colors and sparkly clothes. It doesn’t matter that I wear them all year long. I love how they make people happy, and I smile when they say, “We all could use your sparkle today,” even if I’m only at the grocery store.
The very thing I said I never wanted has happened. I am just like my mom! She has instilled in me the importance of loving people and not things, shared the value of spending time with family, and given the gift of unconditional love. These are attributes I treasure and hold close to my own heart.
My mom didn’t have a great relationship with her mom. She chose to break the cycle of abuse in her family in order to free the generations of women to come, including myself and my daughter. She is a warrior!
The older I become, the more I appreciate my mom. The many life lessons she has taught me have made me recognize life isn’t about what you become, but who you become and I want to be just like her.
o
This is such a beautiful post! I used to struggle with the same thing. Turns out, she is the best role model there over was!
Hi, Taylor~
I agree!Some of us are blessed with incredible mom’s who by their own nature just exude the qualities of a great woman!
You make the sparkle! Thanks
Margaret,
Thank You for your sweet words! She makes me sparkle 🙂
Blessings!
I was in my late 20’s before I realized I was my mother. Really didn’t bother me at all. My three sisters and 4 brothers all say I am most like our mom. That is a good thing.
Hi, Candy!
I agree! There are a lot of other people I could be like, but none better than my mom 🙂 I will gladly take the compliment from people when they say I am like her.
YES! I’m not a mom yet but I now know why my mom said certain things to me. It makes so much sense now!
Hi, Dawn!
The older you get the more everything makes sense! It is true with age comes wisdom. Life lessons can be hard, but also rewarding!
I love this so much! I’m a mother now but I knew I was just like my mom way before I had kids. I think being like my mom is like a blessing and a curse haha!
Hi, Kayvona! Motherhood is the best! What is more fun is watching our children become like us! You are right about being like our mom is a blessing and a curse. There are some days it is both!
Omg I love this post. Growing up I always said I didn’t want to be like my mother too and slowly over time, I’m turned into a mini version of her. It’s crazy because I’ve tried to be the complete opposite but now I just embrace it!!
Hi, Lakisha!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I too have embraced it and wouldn’t change it for anything. I dread the day God calls her home. She truly is my heartbeat in so many ways. She is the most hilarious woman I know!
Ahh! I love this post! My siblings used to tell me, “You’re just like mom,” as an insult. Today, I love when I hear that I’m “just like mom!”
Patricia,
I love it too! I can’t think of anyone else I would rather be. She truly has made me the woman I am today whether I believe it or not 🙂
Aww such a beautiful post! I can see the love, its so funny how we see things different as we get older!
Marisa,
It is true! With age does come wisdom and our perspective truly changes about many things. I used to think life was best in my twenties, but now I realize the world doesn’t get better, I just became wiser with age and can appreciate life more. My mom is a gift I truly treasure and not near as annoying as I thought at times. 🙂
This post made me smile, especially when you say that your mom made an effort to break the cycle of abuse in order to be better for you. That’s what I am currently doing, and although I do not ever want to be like my mom, I hope I am the kind of mom where my daughters want to be a little like me when they are older.
Meagan,
She truly is my hero. The life she had handed to her was not easy. She has done the best with what she had, but I am so grateful for her willingness to want to do better for my brother and me. Her life is truly an example of a person being handed lemons, and she made the sweetest lemonade she could. Trust me, because you are breaking a cycle you are helping your family and future generations. It will be a lasting legacy.
I also didn’t like lipstick in my younger age but my mom used to always wear them. I was a lipgloss queen lol. The script have flipped today though. I wear lipstick almost every day. Without even trying hard I turned out just like my mom. I love her to the moon and back though we had our quarrels in my early teenage days. We have since grown to understand each other and now we have so much respect for each other now we are like best friends. However it is good that your mom did what she did to break that cycle of abuse.
Shevy,
It is funny the things we pick up from our moms that we never thought we would. I am blessed that my mom has always encouraged me in anything I have wanted to do or be. She has always loved me unconditionally when I have messed up and is my biggest cheerleader. She had a horrendous childhood, but she never quit believing she could make a difference. She is loved beyond words by many and still as feisty as ever!
As I read your post, I saw a lot of myself in your words. I like you always said I would not be like my mother. My mother had her flaws (who doesn’t) but she also so had other great things. Like her humor, I learned to laugh from my mom. As I got older and now have children I have taken the good things she had and have made them part of my parenting style. And the bad? I’ve forgiven and moved on. Great post!
Dalba,
You are right we all have flaws and trust me I have many, but you gave me another insight to my mom. She never talks about my flaws. All she ever talks about is all the positive things I do. She keeps no record of my wrong doings that is an amazing thing. She never throws up anything in my face from the past to make me feel guilty or ashamed. She is the funniest woman I know. I’m blessed to be her daughter and like you said..the things I didn’t appreciate I have moved on too! Thanks for sharing!
This is absolutely lovely. I think we start understanding our moms a lot better as we grow more. My mom is just like yours when it comes to the lipstick and I find myself walking along her set path without even realising it. Your mother sounds like a lovely person and a complete wonderwoman! Thanks for sharing your lovely thoughts!!
Hello!
Thank You for your sweet reply and you know what? She is WonderWoman! Cape and all! The older I get the more precious she becomes to me. She is beautiful, out-spoken and fiesty! However, she makes it all look good with her lipstick 🙂 The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree with me. I love my lipstick, but I love her even more.
That is an interesting take and I have never thought the topic that way! I am happy if I am half the woman my mom is. But totally agree, we appreciate our moms more and more as we grow in life, its such a beautiful thing, the bond between moms and daughters.
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
Kusum,
I agree the older I get the more I love my mom and I didn’t think it was possible to love her more! Thanks for sharing!
I Loved this post. The part you said about “traipse(ing) in and out of the house” actually reminded me of my own Mother. Those are her words exactly! I also laughed out loud on the part about the lipstick. Thank you for such a refreshing post!
Ola~ Thank You for your comments. Yes, our moms do leave heartprints within us. She has made me a lipstick fanatic for sure!
I just recently had the same realization! I catch myself saying things she would say, in the same way, with the same tone.
I don’t agree with everything she says or does, but I’ll be happy to take on the great things about my mom 🙂
I agree Divya! This is what makes each of us unique. I will take the great things from my mom too!
Thanks for sharing, Sheila. The mother-daughter relationship is one that just gets more precious with time. I love my mom!
Hi Jazzmine!
I totally agree and my heart aches for those who do not have a close relationship with their mom. I love my mom too!
This is a beautiful and positive post for all moms out there:)
Hi Nena~ I’m sorry for the delay in responding, but wanted to thank you for your encouragement. The older my mom becomes I realize how truly precious she is to my heart. I have taken her for granted at times, but now as I am older I appreciate and value her love and wisdom.
Sheila, this post made me smile. I have heard myself saying the same things. And every now and then my girls will say, “You sound just like grandma!” Ha, ha. But you are so right. It’s okay to be like the people we love and admire, especially when they lived a life that honored God. Thanks for the great post. – Amy
http://stylingrannymama.com/
Hi Amy~
I’m glad it made you smile. I love the fact that my mom can laugh at herself and march to her own beat. It has made me who I am today. Honor God, Love People and not things because they can’t love you back :-)Thanks for your encouragement!
Beautiful tribute Sheila! You make your Mom proud!
Sparkle on my friend!
Hi Toni! I pray I do! We know what scripture says about honoring our parents 🙂 Thanks for your constant encouragement!