Happy Birthday Week Mom!

Happy birthday week mom!

This year I've asked my brother for his help with this post! He sent me some of his favourite photos and he shared a paper he wrote for his Ethics and Cross-Cultural Interactions course in university. I have permission to share some parts of his essay for my mom’s birthday.

My mother has had perhaps the greatest influence on my values. The importance of family has always been paramount to my mother along with honesty, self-confidence, and the value of education. She has hosted more family gatherings than I can count (several a year for as long as I can remember) which has kept our immediate and extended family close and up to date on each other’s lives. With family and the idea of remaining close to those with whom you share not only blood but memories, history, and fundamentally values, honesty and truthful speech are a close second in my familial hierarchy of values. Understandably, what is or isn’t true cannot be easily discerned. However, according to my mother, truthful speech and integrity go hand in hand. That is, to be honest about what you believe is true and to, above all else, refrain from uttering falsehoods. 

Another value my mother has conveyed to me throughout my earlier years has been the value of self-confidence and believing in, not only the abilities we possess but likewise in our potential to manifest in the world with purpose and determination. I can recall numerous occasions where my mother has told me to “walk around like my shit don’t stink” and to “be the best that you can be”. Such utterances, in my estimation, have built up my character to include a certain level of confidence which I carry with me every day.

 Finally, I would like to highlight the importance my mother has afforded to higher-level education. Not attending university has never been an option for me due to the value my mother has attributed to being educated. I believe this comes from her understanding of the effectiveness of delayed gratification. She was never afforded the same opportunities as I am privileged to today and hence, understands that I must make the most of my current years with education playing a critical role in building the foundation for my future. Her sacrifices have been for the betterment of my future prospects and understanding this has driven my commitment to University since my days in a high school classroom.  

Thanks for sharing Jacob. And here’s one of my other Happy Birthday Mom posts!

Happy birthday week Mama! We love you xoxo