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I Am Who I Am Because of Mom

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This morning while standing in the kitchen, hand mixing batter to make banana-blueberry muffins, I reminisced about my time as a child watching Mom make wedding cakes. It was her way of bringing extra money into the household. Mom makes great wedding cakes. At 88, she still has the knack, most recently having baked and decorated the wedding cake for one of her many grandchildren. They are beautiful and reflect the personality of not only the bride and groom but also her unbelievable attention to detail.

Beyond wedding cakes, her attention to detail carries into the many blankets that she has knitted or crocheted for all of us, for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and how she decorates her home. In fact, it permeates in all that she does and how she shares her many talents with so many others in- and outside of the family.

I don’t ever recall her showing me how to make muffins. Like many of us, I was out of the home at 18; in my case off to college. But what I saw every day was what she modeled: her focus, her attention to detail, and an unbelievable example of how to get things done. Her warmth, caring, and sharing are what flows through all she does. Morris Massey once said, “You are who you are because of where you were when.” There is no doubt, I am who I am because of Mom. Thank you, Mom!

In this ever changing and mobile world that we live in, many times our children don’t always find the time to watch and learn who we are and what we do. Sometimes we have to stop and invite them to not only watch but share in what we do. Because of Mom, I used to make cookies with my children a lot. There is no doubt that they are much better cooks than I am, but it was a way of sharing some of my mom with them.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms … we are who we are because of you. 

Workbook

Conversations With Mom - 25 Questions to Ask Mom

    • Perfect for a memorable Mother's Day, birthdays, or other celebrations with parents of adult children
    • Record your conversation for an incredible family heirloom
    • Most questions adaptable for in-laws or grandparents
Conversations With Mom Workbook

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Rick Stephens

Rick Stephens is a co-founder of Raising Families. With 33 years of experience as a top-level executive at The Boeing Company and having raised four children of his own, he is able to support parents and grandparents by incorporating his knowledge of business, leadership, and complex systems into the family setting.

In his free time Rick enjoys road biking, scuba diving, visiting his grandkids, and generally trying to figure out which time zone he’s in this week. Read full bio >>