Five Lessons I learned From Mom
That Have Also Helped Me Become a Better Writer
--
We’re celebrating Mother’s Day here in the United States today. Happy day to everyone who is or acts in the role of mother.
I wanted to share today, just a few things that I learned from my mom that has helped be become a better writer.
My mom had a tough start to life. My grandmother died right after giving birth to my uncle, my mother’s only brother (she had five older sisters). Sadly, my mother was only nine years old, so she was left without the love and guidance of a mother which was devastating because it affected my mother’s future. One of her sisters who was eighteen at the time raise her until my mom was about fifteen and old enough to get a job. Tough. Really tough, I can’t imagine. But she started working at that age and didn’t stop until she retired in her late 70s.
1. So, the first and most important lesson that I learned was to keep going when life gets tough. There are no excuses and there is no giving up. Horrible things happen to all of us because they just do, and we can’t know or explain why. But the only option we have is to look ahead and keep moving forward. The times that have been difficult and I’ve struggled as a writer, lost agents, been dropped by publishers, had bad print runs and book sales, I’ve told myself, I have no problems. I had a loving mother that raised me, and who is still here for me today. If she, as a little girl, kept going after true tragedy, I cannot be the kind of woman who gives up and falls apart when things get tough. It’s helped me tremendously in the field of writing where nothing is promised, and rejection is high.
2. My mom also taught me to work hard and be proud of hard work. Not only did she start working at such a young age, but she has always had a job. Some were not great jobs and didn’t pay well, but she worked anyway to help take care of her family. And she was loved every place she worked. Her supervisors loved her dedication, punctuality, reliability, and effort. She gave it her all, and it didn’t matter if most people would consider her job menial or unimportant. She took pride in a job well done. She served those she worked for. When she left a job, her bosses always tried to get her to stay. I think it was because she never…
