The Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned From My Mama (Happy Mother’s Day, Mom)
I am who I am because of my mom.
You decide if that’s a good or bad thing, but for those of you who know her — like really know her — I’m sure we’d agree it’s a GREAT thing.
(And if you think it’s a bad thing, well buddy, we’ve got some problems).
I write a lot about personal growth, productivity, goal-setting, self-improvement, leadership. My mom is the reason I feel qualified to touch on those buckets. She’s taught me how to grow, build good habits, chase my dreams, better myself and be a leader in everything I do.
I can say with absolute confidence that I would be no where without my mama.
Since today is mother’s day, I’d like to take this time to pay homage to the G.O.A.T. by sharing some of the greatest life-lessons I’ve learned from my beautiful mama.
Here are 5 lessons-learned from the coolest mom in existence:
1. Family first.
Too many people take family for granted — I know I do sometimes.
In all honesty, it’s hard not to take family for granted. When you’re around the same people all the time, it’s difficult to appreciate their presence.
My mom made family a priority.
She’d drag my siblings to all of my games and drag me to all of theirs. She made eating together as often as possible a priority. She wouldn’t allow us to skip family functions, even if we were out with friends (actually, she’d just tell us to bring along whoever we were with).
My mama shows unconditional love to our family and is the glue that holds us together. Her emphasis on family is something I’ve grown to appreciate more and more as time goes on.
Even though we argue (like all families do), we have THE BEST family — courtesy of Mom.
2. Travel.
I always told my mom she should write a travel book.
Something like Fodor’s Travel, but with a ‘mom’ twist if you catch my drift.
My dad and siblings call ‘vacations’ with my mom, “Big Mama Adventures.” That’ll probably be the name of the travel series if she ever gets rollin’ on it (I already said I’d help with the writing, Mom — ball is in your court). We use “Adventures” because, well, a trip with the Dolan’s is no vacation — not even close.
No — each vacation with my family is an epic journey of seismic proportions, reflective of Homer’s Odyessey.
If you’re down for a relaxing beach vacay with iconic views, an ocean breeze and bottomless piña coladas, don’t vacation with my mom. She uses each getaway opportunity as a chance to learn about and appreciate the world we live in.
Here are just a few of the excursions I’ve been able to do because of my mama:
- Watching the sunrise atop Haleakala volcano
- Repelled a 70m waterfall in the deep jungles of Costa Rica
- A picnic on Maui
- A morning trip to the Cliffs of Moher
- Scuba-diving in Hawaii
- A trip to the ‘hidden beach,’ Marietas Islands, Mexico
- Hiking Tulum and other ancient ruins
I caught the travel bug from my mama and learned that experiencing the world is a lot better than simply seeing it.
3. Don’t take no shit.
Sorry — there’s just no other way to put it.
When you’re mom is a badass, well, you gotta call it how it is.
My mom has always had my back. She’s the most loyal person I know and one of the most confident people on the planet. She grew up in an area in a family where you speak your mind, shout your opinions and don’t hold back.
So, if for some god-forsaken reason you try to wrong her, or anyone close to her, start praying.
I’d say this is my favorite quality of my mom. We live in an age where most of us are too afraid to stand up for ourselves out of fear of offending others. My mom taught me to speak my mind and not to let anyone take advantage of me.
That confidence is rare, and my mama’s got it.
4. Keep tradition.
Every thanksgiving, my family takes part in a football game against my mom’s cousins in an epic battle called The Weeper Bowl (named after her dad.)
Every Christmas Eve is hosted at our house, all put together by my mom.
Every Christmas morning, my brother, sister, and I all have matching pajamas, and open presents that still say “From Santa” on them.
Every morning from kindergarten through high school, my mom packed me a PB&J sandwich.
Every Wednesday, I wake up to a “Happy Hump Day! :)” text from my mom.
My mom is amazing for keeping tradition. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a mom so focused on togetherness. Not everyone has a mom that cares as much about tradition as my mom does. It’s something that I’ve definitely taken for granted up to this point, but appreciate more and more the more I realize all of the traditions she has kept.
Keeping tradition is something I plan on doing as much as I can for the rest of my life.
5. Love unconditionally.
There isn’t a lot that needs to be said about this one.
My mom is the definition of love.
Whenever I need her, she’s there. Whenever I don’t need her, she’s still there, just in case.
I see love in her face, hear love in her voice, and feel love in her embrace. She’s sacrificed more for the people she loves than anybody I know.
