The Best Advice Our Moms Gave Us

Long before we set foot in a classroom, we had teachers. We just called them mom.

On this Mother’s Day, thank your mom (or grandma, aunt, step-mom, big sister or any other maternal role models you had) for shaping you into the human you are today.

Here are the healthy life lessons our team learned from our mothers and why we owe them all the flowers this weekend.

Angela: I am someone who is constantly on the go and juggling many different things at once. Even as a child, I remember my mom would always say “If there’s one thing I would give to you it would be patience.” I’m still working on slowing down a bit, but my mom is a great reminder of the importance of taking time to stop and smell the roses. There’s no use rushing through life’s day to day because we’re all going to get to the finish line eventually. I am grateful I’ve had an opportunity to spend more time traveling with my mom and taking chances to disconnect, together.

Brianna: One of my favorite lessons from my mom was, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get. The worst someone can say is no and then you’re no worse off than when you started.”

David: I always remember my mom cooking dinner. That was a big thing in our family. What I learned from mom was the importance of having dinner over a home-cooked meal and spending time together as a family. Both physical and mental health benefits. Thanks, Mom!

Grace:

Fruit should be your dessert.
Breakfast should never be dessert.
You are different. You always will be. But you must always be the hardest worker in the room.
Smile and be grateful for your blessings.

Helen: From a young age my mom taught me that it’s important to incorporate exercise into life. No matter how busy we were or even if we were on vacation, there was always time for a walk. Over the years we’ve tried lots of different workouts together from 90s workout videos, to 5Ks and now we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with yoga!

Jen: Two important pieces of advice that I have taken from my mom are “no thank you helpings” and the ability to work through anything and everything in life. “No thank you helpings” was her way of saying try everything once, even if you don’t like it – and believe me, it has expanded my palate. The ability to work through anything and everything is huge for me and helps me fight through small battles every day from mental to physical feats. Thank you, Mom.

Jill: My mom always told my sisters and I to drink enough water each day and try new foods at least once. She also taught us never to doubt ourselves and above all else, always stay humble and kind.

Julie: I learned a lot from my mom by watching the example she set. When she prepared food for a funeral or volunteered at our church, I learned that community and service are important. When she brought an extra sack lunch to my track meets for a teammate with parents who often couldn’t make it, I learned that kindness and sharing could be everyday practices. When she stooped down to a little kid’s level to play, something she still does to this day with my daughters, I learned that you’re never too big to have fun and making children feel important is one of life’s great joys.

Lucy: My mom introduced me to all my favorite veggies but she also always taught me to let go of the things I can’t control – a philosophy that always helps me mentally get through bad days.

$Meghan and her mom and Meghan\'s young children$ Meghan: One of the most valuable things I learned from my mom was when I became a mother myself. She made me realize I couldn’t be supermom and do everything and anything I wanted to every day for my kids. I was never going to be able to be two places at once. That’s where your support system comes in. I might not have always been able to be there, but in those moments, Grandma was. My mom made me understand the value and impact your whole family can have on a child’s life. The time, lessons, support and love my kids have received from their grandparents, aunts and uncles has been invaluable and we’re so fortunate.