While we may not have always admitted it, our maternal figures often know a lot more than we give them credit for. For Mother’s Day, we’re spotlighting all the best advice our moms have given us over the years.
#LeadingByExample
“I’m not sure there was any specific advice my mom gave me, but her behaviour sure showed me how to hustle/make shit happen. She raised three children, worked full-time and got two degrees. She said she wanted to be a nursing professor at a university and so she went back to school, graduated and then travelled all over Canada taking small town instructing contracts to make that happen. Happy Mother’s Day, mom. You inspire me daily.” – Jen F., editor, Food Network Canada
Related: Amazing TV moms to aspire to be like.
#FamilyFirst
“My mom’s advice is probably why I’m so close to my family. ‘Family comes first’ is a mantra that’s always been instilled in me. I can hear her now saying, ‘If you needed a kidney, who do you think is going to give it to you?’ It’s a reminder that no matter what happens or where life takes us, we should always be there for each other.” – Tracey M., editor, Slice.ca
#ChangeItUp
“My mom often says, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.’ It’s a reminder to me and my sister to switch things up when something isn’t working out for us and to be unafraid to try new things.” – Natalie H., editor, Slice.ca
See also: Celeb moms who welcomed babies using a surrogate.
#Balance
“I can’t think of one specific piece of advice, but I learned a lot from my mom from her actions alone. She raised me and my sister while balancing a senior role at a major company. In addition to that, she went back to school – something she had always dreamed of doing – and got a degree in anthropology. She’s also an avid traveller and, even prior to her retirement, made a point of ensuring she was doing the best she could to maintain a work/life balance. It’s all been inspiring, to say the least.” – Laura G., editor, Slice.ca
She has taught me to be fearless, to try shit, and to always entertain a curiosity.
#BeFearless
“My mother is the type of woman who once burned her own face with a DIY garlic poultice when trying to treat a zit. She is also the type of woman who once, when I was choking on a Werther’s Original as a toddler, picked me up by my feet, turned me upside down and shook me to try to dislodge it vs. conducting Heimlich. So I typically take her advice with a truckload of salt… However, leading by example, she has taught me to be fearless, to try shit, and to always entertain a curiosity. It’s led me to some pretty interesting places, with only first-degree burns.” – Alexa K., manager, social, Slice.ca
You may also like: 10 bizarre rules royal children absolutely have to follow.
#TravelEarly #TravelOften
“The best advice my Mom ever gave me was to travel when I’m young. When I was a little girl, my Mom always told me about her amazing travel experiences in her 20s. My favourite bedtime stories were hearing about her weekend camping in the Sahara Desert, her spontaneous decision to immigrate to Canada, or flight delays that lead to some of her most memorable adventures. Now that international travel will look a lot different in the years ahead, I’m so thankful that she encouraged me to live abroad and visit new countries as much as possible in my early twenties. Her bravery, confidence and independence is a constant source of inspiration in everything I do.” – Angela S., assistant editor, Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada
#TheSunsGonnaRise
“My mom has this way about her where you can come to her about anything and she will listen to you and help you out. No judgement ever. The number one reason why I’m so grateful for my mother, aside from the fact that she is the most selfless human being I have ever known, is that I know I can tell her anything and she will always offer me unconditional love and support. Growing up, I think it’s easy to feel like you’re doing something wrong or making a mistake and my mom is always able to help calm me down and remind me that everything will be OK. Her reassurance, guidance and her free spirit ‘chill’ vibes is what has made me the woman I am today. She taught me how to be independent, how to find joy in the simple pleasures of life, how to love myself and others, and to persevere when life gets tough. My mom has given me so much, and done so much for me over the last 27 years, but if I had to narrow it down to one solid piece of advice it would be, ‘the sun’s gonna rise in a mile’, which essentially means ‘it will all be alright, just keep going.’ Fun fact: this is actually a line she pulled from our favourite Citizen Cope song and made it our mantra, which is SO her. My mom once told me, ‘music is her religion,’ and if that doesn’t sum up what kind of mother she is, I don’t know what else to tell you.” – Madison R., strategist, social, Slice.ca
Related: Women are carrying Canadian households through the pandemic, study says.
People are complicated and it takes time to truly know and understand someone.
#TakeYourTime
“My Mama resembles a lot of the strong, selfless, and high-achieving women mentioned in this group. She is extremely adaptive, and incredibly nurturing. She put her own career as a corporate lawyer on ice when my family moved to Canada from war-torn former Yugoslavia (she couldn’t practice law here because the barriers to entry required too much time and money). Despite this tremendous personal sacrifice, she always ensured that my older brother and I not only felt loved, but that we had the support to pursue our own goals and ambitions. When I had my son at an early age, rather than telling me to go figure it out on my own, she made sure she extended this warmth and support to her grandson too. She’s not only the best mom, but the most loving grandma. Out of all the sage sayings she has on the ready (“it’s a marathon, not a sprint”), the following has resonated most deeply: you won’t fully know someone until you’ve made your way through a kilo of salt with them (rough translation). By this she means that people are complicated and it takes time to truly know and understand someone (while also recognizing that not everyone is always as they seem at first blush). It’s a reminder to not always take people at face value – good or bad, but instead, to give it time and not rush the process.” – Dragana K., editor/producer, Slice.ca
#KeepTrying
My mom is the definition of resilience. She’s started a new life more than once and the same goes for learning a new talent or skill – there’s nothing that she can’t accomplish. She tries to pass on that same mentality to me and even when I feel like I can’t do it, she’s always there to remind me I can. – Jessica T., community manager, Slice.ca
Related: What your birth order means for your personality.
