And so, going against all my rebellious-teenager instincts (and in honor of Mother's Day), here are five things my mom was right about…
1.) “One day, you’ll thank me for all these hikes.”
Growing up in Maryland, I was ridiculously lucky to be within about an hours’ driving distance of many beautiful state parks that boasted waterfalls, endless forests, and gorgeous rocky clearings that provided sweeping views. Almost every weekend, my parents and I would load up into the car and head to one of the many state parks for a morning or an afternoon of hiking.
And almost every weekend, without fail, I’d whine and complain about how hiking was “boring” and how much I hated it. In my mind, nature was stagnant and dull – there was nothing exciting to do when all you could do was walk… Oftentimes, it was also sticky and hot (Maryland is pretty much a swamp in the spring and summer), and I hated getting sweaty and yucky when I could have been watching TV at home, in the air conditioning.
Now, over ten years later, I can honestly say – thanks mom, you were right.
Thanks for instilling an awe-inspiring love of nature in me, despite my unwillingness to acknowledge it until years later. Today, I ardently miss those hikes and the proximity to such beautiful state parks, and I thrive being outdoors and being active. I definitely attribute this to my mom and her determination to get me outdoors and moving… Despite my childish resistance.
2.) “You can do it.”
This applies to many situations to list… From arduous group projects in college with teammates who drove me mad to uncertainty in my professional endeavors, it always seemed impossible until it was done.
And you were right mom. I did it. And I can do it again.
3.) “Give it time, you’ll learn to love coffee (and beer).”
This is hilariously true because I now can’t go a day without having at least two cups of coffee. When I was younger though? Coffee was bitter, black, and too disgusting to stomach. Beer was pretty much the same – too carbonated, too bitter, too much of an aftertaste. Now I’m eating (or drinking) my words.
4.) “You’re in too much of hurry to grow up – you’re going to miss these days.”
My last semester of college, I was so ready and so excited to be done. No more tests, no more quizzes, no more papers – bring it on! I was ready to enter the “real world” and be a “professional,” working in a fun, exciting job, and to be living on my own in my very own apartment.
Well, I did work a fun, exciting job… For about two months until everything changed and went downhill quickly. Reality set in, and I quickly learned what it really meant to dread going into work every day and to hate your job…
And yes, I also really missed college. Despite those pesky quizzes, tests, and papers, I missed the freedom of being a student and the invigorating environment of academia.
So you’re right, mom. I do miss those days. And I was in too much of a hurry to grow up.
5.) “Be patient, work hard, and good things will come.”
Finding a job in my last semester of college was equally stressful and frustrating because I wanted to have everything perfectly planned out right now. I wanted to be able to apply for a job, go to an interview, and hear back about an offer within a matter of days… But of course, we all know that’s not how it works.
At moments, it was frustrating and disappointing to be left weeks without word from any of the dozens of shops that I had sent applications to, and I felt like I had worked so hard in college for nothing.
After wasting too much time and energy on stress and impatience, things finally started coming to fruition when I “let go” and allowed time to do its thing…
So mom, you were right. And you’re still right, even if my impatience is trying to overrule that again.
You hear that, mom? That’s me admitting defeat (lovingly). You were right, and you’re going to continue to be right about more and more…
But just to be clear, you’re never going to be right about me eating meat again. There’s too much vegetarian guilt in me for that.
Happy Mother’s Day.
xx
ola
