5 Lessons I Learned From My Mom That I Will Pass Along to My Son

Today is my mom's birthday, so to honor her, I would like to pass along 5 lessons that I learned from her. In my experience as a mama so far, it seems that my best parenting comes from following my instincts, but I also realize that much of what is instinctual to me is due to good parenting from my mom and dad.
Here are 5 lessons that I learned from my mom that I will be passing along to my son:
1. Make a difference in the lives of others: My mom was a SAHM while I was growing up, but she spent countless hours volunteering. Seeing volunteerism in action from an early age greatly impacted me because some of my most poignant learning experiences have come through helping others. My mom involved me in her charity activities from the time I was very young, and I look forward to volunteering with my husband and son as soon as he is old enough. I would like Baby to know that everyone on this planet is worthy and worth taking time for.
2. You always have options: Throughout my teenage years and in my early twenties, I remember several instances where I felt stuck or trapped in a situation. When I felt most paralyzed, my mom reminded me that we always have options. These options may provide you with temporary setbacks, but they are not insurmountable. It was this advice that allowed me to make some of my most life changing choices as an adult. When I was working in the magazine industry right after college, this advice pushed me to throw my hat in the ring for a high level job at my company and ultimately accept it and move from Manhattan to Boston over the course of four days as a twenty one year old. It was this advice that enabled me to find a way to get my company to move me to San Francisco a year later when I wanted to try living out there. It was this advice that persuaded me to move back across the country to go to grad school and leave a very lucrative career behind in order to follow my passions and become a teacher. I could go on and on about how this piece of advice has helped me, but to sum it up, I would not have taken any of the worthy risks of my adult life without it.
3. Family comes first: This was a piece of advice that often felt annoying to me when I was a teenager. My mom would remind me of this whenever I appeared to be choosing friends over family. Of course, there are friends in my life who I now consider family, but it's my family members who have and always will be there for me no matter what. After everything I've been through in life, I know this is invaluable.
4. Education is important: As a former teacher and nerd (well, I'm still a nerd), it is obvious that this lesson has had a powerful impact on me. A love of learning has shaped my life and my identity, and I am so thankful that my parents emphasized the importance of this. I believe learning is a lifelong journey, and I love fostering Baby's curiosity. I love learning from him and with him.
5. Throw yourself into your passions: My mom gave up many many hours so that I could be immersed in my dancing and music. She knew how fulfilling, educational, and stimulating it can be to have the luxury of following your passions. I would love for Baby to feel free to try new things and find what he loves. Although I'm not a dancer or musician now, these things still greatly benefit my life today because I am not afraid to try new things and find new passions. I'm also not afraid to resurrect old passions like writing. This blog would not exist if my mom had not helped me to foster my passions.