Many countries around the world are celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday. And with that many little hands will be busy making cards and pictures and flowers being purchased. The mothers in our lives are so important. Not all mothers are the ones that raised us; mothers can come in all forms: sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends. Mother’s Day is about celebrating all of those women who have encouraged us on our way, provided a safe place for tears and joy and have passed on the wisdom that we treasure in our hearts.
As I thought about Mother’s Day and what it meant to me and my family, I started thinking about all of the little traditions that are passed down by generations of women, and what I may want to pass down to my children. Funny sayings that we can’t even remember the origins of but have become part of our family’s vocabulary, holiday rituals that remind us of home in the Czech Republic. These things are more than just traditions and stories, they are the things that stick us together and unite us; the wisdom from previous generations of women still guiding us today.
I came across a saying recently which really resonated with me. It was one of those things that you could casually read and never give any more thought to, but it caught my attention: “Your life is a book. It is made up of many chapters. Once one chapter is over, you can’t go back and change it, but you can start afresh with a new one.”
As someone who has changed direction in their life several times, I felt a sense of comfort from that saying. My book has so many chapters already, but my story wouldn’t make sense if some of them were missing, even the not so nice ones. As a mother trying to guide her children through the pitfalls of life, I thought I would keep this saying close to my heart and use it whenever troubled times come our way. I’m not sure how much wisdom I could glean from rereading my teenage years chapters but hopefully there will be something in there for me to pass onto my children when the time is right!
It also made me ponder the importance of capturing life no matter what stage you are in. Each chapter of your life is unique; it would be such a shame to miss out on recording it. It can be so easy to put things off until you have everything “sorted,” but the chances are that that day will never really come. We are always working on something, whether it is a business project or ourselves, so putting off taking that holiday, buying that house or having those photos taken until the perfect time will just result in a list of unfulfilled dreams. Carpe diem (seize the day) might get a little overused, but the sentiment is still relevant. You can jump at the opportunity to try something new even if you are in the middle of a chapter. You don’t have to wait until the next one starts.
We might not be able to go back and pass on advice to our younger selves, so passing on what we have learnt as women is the next best thing. Throughout time, women have been the ones holding family together, reciting the tales, handing down the secrets; it’s just something we do. In doing it, we create a wonderful web of wisdom and support, and help to empower those around us. An empowered woman, confident in her own talents and abilities is an amazing thing. It is definitely something worth celebrating this Mother’s Day. It’s something I will certainly be celebrating, both as a daughter and a mother.
Happy Mother’s Day!
