Happy Mothers’ May, friends! Please join me in celebrating Charlene’s mom — Ms. Adassa. Charlene is a blogger, Nurse, and Life Coach. She blogs at Lady In Waiting. Take a little time to check out her blog. While you’re here though, please help me salute her mom for doing her part to raise a beautiful, humble, servant leader.
I wanted to take the time to salute my mom, Ms. Adassa Clarke, who is a retired teacher, self-proclaimed doctor, 🙂 and one of the strongest, most honest and outspoken people I know. As a child, I remember my mom working full-time while caring for my older sister and I, yet still fully invested in my education, making sure I did what was expected of me and was respectful to others. She believes in the power of education and often gave me “extra” homework and summer reading projects along with book reports to complete.
My love of reading comes from her. As a middle schooler and then teenager, I remember her leaving her first profession in accounting to pursue her passion for living a healthy lifestyle, starting her own business, going back to school for fashion and sewing and then eventually starting her second career as a teacher. She went back to school to pursue a Masters in Education, while working full time, running a business, being a mom and still found time to sew. How she did it all? I have no idea.
She instilled in me a drive to pursue the things I love. She encouraged me to step outside of my academic world to become a well rounded student and pushed me to get involved in after school activities. This helped me become less shy and discover some of the things that I love to do. I only wished she would have shared her incredible gift and talent of sewing with the world. Thankfully, I benefited and still benefit from this gift! As an adult, I have watched her develop in her relationship with the Lord and settle in her role as a teacher until she retired on my birthday in 2013.
I have admired how much pride she takes in cooking for my 100 year old grandmother despite many oppositions and the joy she has shared with me numerous times about the opportunity that many people don’t get to spend with their mothers at this age. She has also taught me the power of speaking up for myself, being honest and the beauty of standing for what I believe in, even when I have to stand alone. She has taught me so much over my 34 years–how to be independent and take care of a home.
Her discernment has usually been spot on as it relates to guys I have dated as well as my friendships. She has called me out many times when I was wrong and just loved me for me. Two of the things my mother has always taught me that has stuck with me until this day is 1) You don’t need a lot of friends. Just be good to the ones you have around you and 2) Always do what you know to be right regardless of how people act towards you.
On this particular Mother’s day, in light of several friends that I know who have lost their mothers recently, I am extremely grateful that I still have my mother here and I want to give her “her flowers” while she is living.
Happy Mother’s Day Mommy! I love you!
If you’d like to celebrate your mom during Mothers’ May, please click here.
Reblogged this on Lady in Waiting and commented:
Thank you Michelle for allowing me to celebrate my mom through your Mother’s May blog posts. Please check out Michelle’s other blog posts here at Two Are Better Than One.
As I celebrate my mom today on this Mother’s Day through this post, I also want to acknowledge those who have been waiting to be a mother and it has not yet come to pass. I am praying for you. For mothers who waited to be mothers, became one, but then lost their babies, I am praying for you as well. To those who have lost their own mothers, I lift you up as well. I lift up and celebrate all the mothers today, whether you are a natural mother, spiritual mother, adoptive mother, godmother, foster mother, neighborhood grandmother or mothered anyone in your life, you are loved, you are celebrated and you matter!
For those of you who have mothers still living, no matter the relationship, the worse thing you could ever experience is regret. Honor your mother while she is here. Give her “her flowers” now!