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Women's Legacy Project > Blog > BE > Women's Legacy > Her Story > Life Lessons from my Mother

Life Lessons from my Mother

Written by: womenslegacy
Published: March 30, 2016 -- Last Modified: March 30, 2016
21 Comments

by Melinda Taylor

She was with me as I drew my first breath, and I was there when she drew her last. I miss her but a smile comes to me when I think of the way she lived her life. These are the lessons she taught us by the way she lived it.
Mom and daughter walking by Jon Ottosson
 
Mom was a simple woman but the lessons she taught us were priceless.
Mom taught us the love of music and even in worst of times she had a song in her heart and on her lips.
Mom taught us honesty by her example. Even though us didn’t have much money we always paid our debts, even if it took years. I watched her walk to the funeral home each week to put $5.00 down on the funerals of my grandparents. She was so proud when she got it paid off.
Mom taught us when something knocked us down we could get up, shake ourselves off and start all over again. After all that was the way of the Peterson Women.
Mom taught us to laugh at ourselves and our mistakes. Nothing is so bad that a laugh couldn’t make it better. Mistakes can be repaired and as long as we learned by them it was a good thing.
coffee pot by Annie SprattMom taught us kindness and gentleness. We watched her nurture people through the years. She always had the coffeepot handy and a listening ear. We saw the rewards of a life well lived in the Nursing Home in Menagha, Mn. The loving care she got from the staff. Whenever we go up there even today I hear the praises of the people she worked with.
Most of all she taught us how to love our families and friends well. There was always hugs and kisses and she always let us know how much she loved us and her love was unconditional.
Mom created wonderful memories for us and all her grandchildren. She left a legacy of joy, strength and love.
When she got to heaven and looked at the face of God I’m sure he opened his arms and said, “Welcome home my daughter. Job well done.”


melinda
 
Melinda Taylor, daughter of Gladys Lindroos, is a freelance short story writer.
She says of herself: I am an older woman that has been writing for a few years. I, just in the past year, found out that people like to hear the stories I write so I read one of them once a month to an older group of senior citizens. I love to write about the nature and beautiful things in life. I am currently trying to work on a meditation book called Reflections from my Porch. I live in Edina, MN and I am a woman’s advocate that works on my own. I have seven children and a host of grand and great-grandchildren.

Categories: Her StoryTags: caring, honesty, integrity, life lessons, love, mother, sharing, simplicity, teaching

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. CAROL CASSARA

    March 31, 2016 at 11:09 am

    Motherhood is a sacred thing, a bond like no other, and that’s what I took away from this. Lovely thought today.

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:37 am

      Thank you. I wrote this shortly after my Mom passe away 8 years ago and I still miss her.

      Reply
  2. Cathy Sikorski

    March 31, 2016 at 11:40 am

    What a lovely tribute to your Mom. Our Moms are with us forever!!

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:38 am

      Thank you. I wrote this shortly after my Mom passe away 8 years ago and I still miss her.

      Reply
  3. Toni McCloe

    March 31, 2016 at 1:52 pm

    Your mom sounds like she was an exceptional mother. I know she is missed.

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:39 am

      Thank you I still miss her and without her and the lessons she taught me I probably could not have survived some of the situations in my life.

      Reply
  4. Sue

    March 31, 2016 at 2:06 pm

    It sounds like you had a beautiful relationship with your Mother and she taught you well. I still miss my mother after 29 years and her kindness, love and wisdom. I hope my daughter feels that way about me.

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:40 am

      I am sure they do. Thank you. I wrote this shortly after my Mom passe away 8 years ago and I still miss her.

      Reply
  5. Helene Cohen Bludman

    March 31, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    What a loving tribute to a very special mom.

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:41 am

      Thank you. I still miss her

      Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 5, 2016 at 4:03 pm

      Thank you that she was!!

      Reply
  6. Cathy Lawdanski

    March 31, 2016 at 3:59 pm

    Beautiful. I lost my mom last year and miss her too. Yours sounds like a lovely woman. How blessed we both are to have had wonderful, strong, loving mothers.

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:41 am

      Yes we are. Thank you

      Reply
  7. Donna Petersen, Melinda's sister

    March 31, 2016 at 5:49 pm

    I am so proud of you. What a beautiful tribute to Mom. Love ya.

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:41 am

      Love you too my Dear sister

      Reply
  8. Jilly Jesson Smyth

    March 31, 2016 at 6:37 pm

    This story by Melinda Taylor reveals how vital unconditional love is to create generations of thoughtful caring people. This sentence resonates: “Mom taught us to laugh at ourselves and our mistakes. Nothing is so bad that a laugh couldn’t make it better. Mistakes can be repaired and as long as we learned by them it was a good thing.” Thank you for sharing the love and laughter!

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:42 am

      Thank you. I wrote this shortly after my Mom passe away 8 years ago and I still miss her. I was lucky to have her as a mother.

      Reply
  9. Mary Havens

    March 31, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    Melinda,
    Such a beautiful tribute to your mom, and even thought I didn’t know her, I feel like I do because you are so much like the story you wrote.
    Blessings,

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 1, 2016 at 4:44 am

      Thank you Mary, Thank you for all the encouragement that you have given me through the years. I hope I am like my mom.

      Reply
  10. Jerry Peterson

    April 4, 2016 at 8:41 pm

    Hi Mom,
    Just a note on here about your mom, and I know you are not my real mom, but all the times I was at the house you treated me like your own kids.
    Just reading this story brought back memories about the times Danny and I would go up north and see the family, she was always smiling from ear to ear to see Danny walk through the door, I’m glad I had the pleasure to meet her and to call her grandma, a wonderful women
    Thanks for writing this it brought tears to my eyes, remembering the time
    Love you
    Jerry

    Reply
    • Melinda Taylor

      April 5, 2016 at 4:02 pm

      Hi Jerry, You were one of the kids that was around all the time and I will never forget you. I think of you and pray for you. You were one of the grandkids to my mom too and I am glad that you have the memories of her also. Love you Jerry

      Reply

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