Wisdom of a Mom

I think of my mother often and remember everyday many of the lessons learned from her. As a child, my mother was always there. She cooked, cleaned and sat at her sewing machine for hours making clothes for others. I can't even begin to count the number of cheerleading uniforms she made.

As I grew up there were many hours spent learning to read. I get my love of literature from her. It began when I was around five. I would sit in my chair by her sewing machine and she would sew while teaching me to read.

As I said I learned many things from her but of all the lessions she taught me there are two that spring to mind most often.

I had a friend whose mother didn't give her a lot of time. She often came to my mother who would listen to her and spend time with her. When we were about seven, I decided I didn't like this very much because she was taking "my time," and I didn't think that was fair to me. Mama explained to me that there would be many times in life that things wouldn't be fair and that sometimes we have to put other feelings first. To this day, I remember those words. I'm not as good at it as my mom was, and still is, but I try to practice this in my life.

As I was entering the fifth grade, they began sending black teachers into my elementary school. In the few weeks before the school term began, a neighbor talked badly about this particular teacher I was going to have because she was a negro. (Yes I'm old - very old terminology.)

He talked a lot, and I listened, and by the time I began school I was scared of this woman, who I'd never met. A few weeks later when I came in from school, mama asked me about my teacher who had asked the principal to remove me from her room because she was afraid I wouldn't learn from her. In the end, mama told me that the only difference between her and other teachers was the color of her skin and that it was okay for me to like her. My response was, "Good, because she's really nice."

Mrs. Colvin became one of my favorite teachers. My mom sewed for her, and I learned more from her than what was in my schoolbooks. Between her and my mom I began to look beyond the surface and to see a person for who they are.

These are just two important lessions I learned from mom. Don't ever think your children don't listen to you because they do, no matter what age they are. They listen to the good and the bad. Just hope the good stuff sticks; I think it did with me.