When Mother’s Day rolls around each year, many people reflect on some of the wisdom bestowed from their mothers or other influential women in their lives. There’s the near-universal lessons most of us recall— Eat your vegetables. Don’t run with scissors. Always wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.
Then there are those more meaningful nuggets of insight, specific to our own moms, which we end up finding quite useful as we journey through life.
In honor of Mother’s Day this month, we thought it would be special to feature some moms at GVEC as they each share the best motherly advice or most important thing they learned from their mother:
“From my mom I learned perseverance, hard work, and to respect and be respected. Her advice to me was and still is to stand on my own and not to depend on others—to be strong and independent, and that’s the same advice I passed on to my daughter.”
—Alicia Noak, Communications Specialist; daughter of Carmen; mother to Skyler, 21
“The best advice from my mom: Stand up for yourself, and don’t be afraid of what others may think!”
—Dana Segura, Administrative Assistant to Executive Manager – Information Technology; daughter of Karen; mother to Cain, 4 and Cash, 2
“My mother is the most loving and patient person I know. I think the most important things she has taught me are to always keep God first, and always try to remember whatever you are going through, there are other people worse off than you. She is the perfect example of someone who can take lemons and make lemonade.”
—Sandra Young, Real Estate and R.O.W. Manager; daughter of Stacy; mother to Jennifer, 37 and Kristi, 35
“The most important thing I’ve learned from my mom is to always listen and be very open to conversation no matter the topic. I feel like I can come and talk to my mom about anything, and there is no judgement or condescending reaction. I hope both my sons will feel the same way, no matter their ages.
—Debbie Brown, Customer Service Representative; daughter of Rita; mother to Jayden, 9 and Corbin, 9mos.
“My mother was a single mom with three young kids for a long time. Every tough time she went through taught me a lot and helped mold me into the woman and mother I am today. I want to thank her for her strength, her guidance and her devotion, but most importantly, her love for her kids. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!”
—Kayla Anglin, Internet Services Scheduler; daughter of Debbie; mother to Jack, 4 and Kinsley, 2.
“‘Take a bath,’ was the most popular piece of advice from my mom. It wasn’t just for hygiene; it was the solution to everything—Not feeling well? Can’t sleep? Need to relax? Take a bath! I tell you, a warm soak in the tub will melt away all your problems. I gladly give that advice to my children as well.”
—Shari Johnson, Human Resources Representative; daughter of Marleen; mother to Lauren, 15 and Coe, 12; step-mother to Jacey, 28.
“Things my mother taught me: Believe in yourself, work hard, and be the best you can be. Be kind, and help others. A smile goes a long way.”
—Dora Noyola, Accounting Clerk; daughter of Gloria; mother to Mercedes, 29 and Ashlynn, 19.
“The best advice my mom ever gave me was to never expect anyone to provide for me or make things happen for me. She always instilled in me the idea that I can achieve anything I wanted to—that sometimes I would have to be creative of how I would achieve it, but that ultimately, I could do it. I believe this mindset has allowed me to accomplish a lot of things in life and is something that I will pass on to my stepdaughter as she grows!”
—Melissa Pilling, Customer Service Representative; daughter of Kathryn; stepmother to Christabelle,7.
“My mom was a single mom, and I was an only child, so she taught me A LOT. One of the things she taught me while she was alive was to always make sure my girls know how proud of them I am—no matter what. It’s not something she told me to remember, but she showed me instead, by telling me every day how proud of me she was, and I have done that with my girls since they were born.”
—Amanda Nolin, Administrative Assistant to Executive Manager – Member Services; daughter of Donna; mother to Adalynn, 6 and Lillian, 2.
“Something my mother always tells me is material things don’t matter as long as you have a healthy family—that’s all the riches you need.”
—Belen Sanchez, La Vernia Office Manager; daughter of Maty; mother to Edson, 8 and Mila, 4.
“Her encouraging words that I have also passed down to my two children and my grandchildren: ‘You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it, and with effort and a lot of determination you can make it happen. But never ever give up.’ So far everyone in the family has done a pretty good job of doing just that.”
—Nancy Gottschalt, Work Order Coordinator; daughter of Julia Mae; mother to Mark, 49 and Christina, 46.
“My mom is absolutely the smartest woman I know. She has taught me so many valuable things throughout my life and has lead by example. She has shown me through her actions and accomplishments that anything is possible and that you can have a successful career while raising a family. She has instilled in me the drive to never stop learning and to go after anything and everything that interests me. I owe her a huge ‘thank you’ for being an amazing role model to not only me, but to my daughters as well, so THANK YOU, MOM.”
—Carri Hersh, Management Assistant & Project Coordinator; daughter of Carol; mother to Cayli, 21 and Madisyn, 16.
