Some of the best lessons in life are learned from the women in our lives. So it’s fitting that this week is not only Teacher Appreciation Week but also Mother’s Day.

I’m fortunate in that the males in my life were good role models, and I couldn’t be a mom without my three wonderful sons. But it’s been women who’ve created the most indelible memories for me.

First and foremost is my mom. She taught me to believe in myself, to love unconditionally and that no matter how much someone protests, offer them something to eat.

She’s doesn’t play favorites yet we all secretly believe we’re the favored one, an incredible balancing act she accomplishes every day.

My grandmothers were polar opposites. Marguerite always dressed in high heels, the latest fashions and smelled like Chanel No. 5.

She taught me how to sew, a skill I silently thank her for every time I thread a needle. She also taught me to put my feet up whenever possible to give my calves and ankles a rest.

My mom’s mother believed if she was wearing an apron and you were eating, everything was right in the world. From her, I learned the importance of filling a house with the smells of home-cooked foods.

My aunts were fabulous teachers, and their visits were ones I cherished. My Aunt Kathy taught me how to laugh at life and that pretty isn’t what’s on the outside. Aunt Claudia taught all of us that a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich is the perfect meal.

My Aunt Bev taught me how to knit, and she taught me to see the delicate beauty in antique china cups. She remembers my childhood, and she’s always willing to fill in the gaps.

But having a font of wisdom and knowledge doesn’t always come from the older generation.  

My two younger sisters not only shared a bedroom with me, they’re my confidants. Even though they know my most humiliating and embarrassing moments, they don’t sacrifice me for a cheap laugh.

      I’m blessed to have four sisters-in-law who love my brothers and me unconditionally. They taught me how to cook and season, set an elegant table, make sure our dog is part of the family and how to live prayerfully with a chronic illness.

My nieces are a reflection of their mothers. In them, I see strong young women who are charting their own paths, making smart life decisions and laughing at life when a curve ball comes their way.

From my daughter-in-law, I’m blessed to watch the loving seeds she’s planting in our grandchildren blossom. She’s brought new ideas and traditions into our family, and I’m thankful for her every day.

Even though my granddaughters are young, they’ve shown me it’s possible to love unconditionally. Seeing how they open their hearts without holding back has been a humbling lesson.

From my female cousins and friends, I’ve learned the cattiness depicted in the media between women is highly exaggerated.

I know I could call any one of them day or night and they’d be at my house in a flash, even if that meant showing up in a bathrobe and flip flops.

The female teachers in my life are made up of much more than someone in a classroom. The women in my life teach me life lessons every time we’re together, and I’m eternally grateful they’ve allowed me into their hearts.

So Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, whether you’re a biological mom, a dad fulfilling that role, a step-parent, foster parent or someone willing to take on the title of mom.

By default, that makes you one of the best teachers around.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.