A Memory of a Mother’s Love

A Memory of a Mother’s Love
“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ―C.S. Lewis

Every night growing up, my brothers and I would curl up next to my mother as she read us a bedtime story with a gentleness and nurturing spirit that only a mother can provide.

She introduced us to the kind and imaginative Boxcar Children, took us through the mischief and mishaps of Curious George, The Berenstain Bears, and Corduroy, kept us questioning with Goosebumps, and entertained us with the rhyming cadences of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See?, Jamberry, and all of Dr. Seuss’ classics (Go, Dog. Go! being a particular favorite), in addition to other beloved stories, such as Make Way for Ducklings, Goodnight Moon, and the many enchanting tales of Walt Disney. Read more

Happy Mother’s Day!

“The ordinarily decent impulses the ordinary man learned at his mother’s knee are our last line of defense against the wickedness of overweening power at home and abroad.”  –John Dos Passos (novelist, 1896-1970)

Mother's day quotesThe importance of mothers is beautifully captured in the below excerpt from the book, What Jackie Taught Us: Lessons from the Remarkable Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Tina Santi Flaherty (2004):

“The memory of our mother never leaves us – the good, the bad, and the ugly. That Jackie Kennedy Onassis was an exceptionally good mother even her harshest detractors readily acknowledge. Motherhood was what mattered most to Jackie. She believed that absolutely nothing came before the welfare of her children. Indeed, she referred to her efforts in raising Caroline and John Jr. as the best thing she’d ever done, saying she wanted to be remembered for that achievement more than for any other. She once remarked, ‘If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do well matters very much.’”

Continue delving into all things mother’s day with:
a reflection on why mothers are so important
a Colombian mother’s influence on her son
a children’s book reminding us of a mother’s love
words used to describe our mothers (and their motherly advice)
delicious recipes for a Mother’s Day brunch
and heavenly biscuits for mother’s day morning

A Mother’s Influence

A Mother's Influence: How a Colombian Mother Has Influenced His Son
Esven and his mother on the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina; January 2016
“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” —Abraham Lincoln

The quote above speaks to me because every time I say goodbye to my mom, in person or on the phone, the last thing she always says to me is “que mi dios me lo bendiga,” a popular phrase for many Latin Americans who identify with the Catholic faith. I used to roll my eyes during our goodbyes or simply ignore it as a child, but I have come to appreciate it as a genuine reminder that she is always thinking about my younger brother and me.

As the son of parents who emigrated from Colombia to America, some of my fondest memories as a child are of our family gatherings – both big and small, in Colombia and the United States. Such visits allowed me not only to see where my parents grew up and what they had experienced in their childhood, but also how central of a role family played in both of their upbringings. Read more

Make Way For Mothers*

Make Way for Ducklings StoryIf you had to choose one word to describe your mother, what would it be? How about one piece of advice she has given you that has always stuck with you or influenced you in some way?

These are the questions I recently posed to a large group of family and friends, in anticipation of writing a piece commemorating the Mother’s Day holiday – a day dedicated to honoring and respecting all mothers, celebrating motherhood and expressing gratitude and appreciation for all the things, both big and small, our mothers did, have done or continue to do for us throughout our life. Read more

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother's Words of WisdomIn honor of all mothers and in celebration of Mother’s Day, ATG shares below a sampling of words used to describe mothers and motherly advice or wisdom recalled by daughters and sons in their very own words.
Laura O. says:

The one word I would use to describe my mother is:

Patient

The one phrase that has left an impression:

“Make it a great day!”

My mother said this to us before we went to school every day growing up, and now she sends me a text in the mornings, “MIAGD!” for short.

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