Ramblings of an Inspired, Lazy Mom: What have you learned from your mother?

Happy Mother’s day to all of you beautiful moms and daughters out here. I read this somewhere and thought it was so true that we all carry pieces of our moms in us wherever we might be in our lives. So many parts of us, our personalities, our thoughts, are our mother’s, that is how much influence motherhood gives us. To be loved unconditionally by your mom and then to pass it on to your kids is the biggest privilege and blessing. We are lucky, I tell you:)

I thought it is the perfect time to talk about my mom who is one of the most important people in my life. She has loved us beyond anything since the day we were born and has never been shy in expressing it too. In words, in hugs and kisses. And her love, her faith, her passion has made us who we are today. We always knew that we were first in her life and nothing else was more important to her right up till we were in college. I learn so much from her and thought I’d share some of this here today.

Mama, this one’s for you, specially for today. Thank you so much for being the perfect mom to us. Love you always!

What I have learned or want to learn from my Mother.

Family is the most important thing in the world for us and that it is important to sit together with each other for sometime every day.
To always love our homes and that even the ugliest of house can be made a home when done up with love.
Motherhood. Specially in the brand new days, everything I needed to know about changing a little baby’s clothes, bathing her to big things today, like always enjoying her, making time for her, capturing her childhoods with words, pictures and videos I have learned from her. Also how she was very strict with us but was a friend to us at the same time.
To love the handmade life. I remember how she would make paintings for our friends as gifts to give for birthday parties. She has always gifted her art to her loved ones. I remember once when she took classes for silk painting and then made beautiful silk scarves for all her friends.
Creativity. We always found her making time for her own art. My mom definitely has the most creative mind I have ever seen.
Love for art and architecture. However much we fussed (Yes, we were so unappreciative!), she made it a point to regularly drag us to museums, art galleries and historic places.
To not be afraid to express our love. My mom is probably one of the most expressive people I have seen. We were always hugged and kissed and in our house we never went out of the house, or to bed, without a kiss and a hug.
Taking care of our parents. Being an only child, my grandparents’ responsibility falls on her and she loves them with all her heart. Even during all the problems of the last two years, she makes it a point to do their grocery shopping and errands and to spend time with them.
Time management and work simplification. My mom is the queen of these two things. She has always used an organizer and plans her days and weeks. We make fun of her organizer, because she is always needing it to write one thing or another, but that is how she is able to do so much in her days.
Love for books and bookshops. Even when she comes to visit me, most of her shopping is for books and she goes back with a box full of them.
Food and cooking. My mom loves cooking for us, and has the biggest smile on her face when she’s in the kitchen making us breakfast or one of our favorite dishes. Even though we were terrible in our eating habits, she always told us how important a balanced diet was and despite our complaining never stopped putting healthy options in front of us.
Strength. That even when life feels intolerable, how to find happiness in the littlest of things, especially books, cooking and our homes.
Loving nature. She has always reminded us to notice the views around us. She loves bringing flowers from outside to put in vases. She loves using branches and found objects from nature to decorate her home.
She has always told us that It is an honor if someone invites us to their house and one should make never go without a little gift for the host. Also the importance of little etiquettes like calling to say ‘Thank You’ a day after.
To never lose one’s excitement for life. Even now, my mom’s face lights up when she talks about her love of studying, travelling, new friends, anything.
Kindness and going out of our way to help those not as fortunate as us. She has many times stopped the car for bystanders, like poor old people and women and children and taken them to their destinations much out of her way, despite security issues, terrorism threats, and us repeatedly telling her that it was unsafe.
Loving with all our hearts and that love should expand our hearts, never limit it.
To not limit our interests to clothes and shoes and the likes that is so common in Pakistani women. And that spending on art and culture and books is much better than constantly adding to our closets.