Entry 11
10 Things My Mother Has Taught Me
To know her is to love her. My mama, Chelsy Francis (Mama Chel or Mama Fran as many like to say), is one of a kind and is truly my best friend.
I love that Mother’s Day is a thing because it is an excuse for me to talk about how good of a mama she is and all the things she has done for our fam.
If you really know my mother, you know that she is a wellspring of wisdom.
So today, I’m going to share 10 things Mama Chel Fran has taught me over the course of my 24 years as her daughter—
moments before becoming a Mrs. spent with my mama—
Jesus matters most. He died for you and His love for you covers a multitude of sins; that will never change. I have memories of my mom teaching me this through songs, deep conversations, even in my Sunday school class as my Children’s Ministry teacher.
What other people say about you doesn’t define your worth nor does it have to shape who you are. I used to struggle hard with this one, so much so that I’d feel a pressure or need to perform or even lie, but when I look at my mom I look at a woman whose worth is based on what is Eternally true. And that is everything to me.
Sometimes, you just need a cookie. Period.
If you tried yet crash and burn, at least you tried. My mom is the biggest go getter I know — she says I’m a go getter but MAN OH MAN. If she wants something, like really wants it, she WILL chase it down. But she reminds me through chats surrounding this topic that you will never know if something was truly meant for you until you give it your best shot.
Work hard, play harder — speaking of my mama’s go-getter mentality; my whole childhood, I got to watch my mom work hard in her career. But don’t be deceived, as soon as she was off the clock my mom THRIVED making our home the most fun place to be. Can’t even count the amount of belly laughs we had around the table because of my mom’s ability to crack up an entire atmosphere.
Listen first. My mom is the best listener. She is one who can listen to someone talk for hours, hearing out their heart the way Jesus does, no malice or greed included. I hope I can grow to be more like her in this area.
Hospitality is all or nothing. My mom has always shown me by her actions and gifts of hospitality that if someone doesn’t feel right at home in your house, is it true hospitality? If you’ve spent any time at all at my family’s home in Ohio, you likely understand what I’m talking about.
YOU HAVE TIME. It’s been easy being this age in a big city feeling the urge and the need to hustle and reach all of my goals yesterday, but my mom has been a main source of reminders for us that if anything, my age shows that I’ve only got time. She’s done nothing but encourage us to relish in our youth; as she says “you’ll never be this age ever again, soak it up!”
Be patient. While my mom encourages the pursuit of our dreams every single day, she reminds me that pruning and seeing visions or goals come to life, in many instances, take time. “It won’t happen overnight,” she always reminds me (as her least patient child).
Let Christ be the center of all your actions; my mom has never straightforwardly told me this. She just embodies it. That’s why I feel so lucky to call her my mom.
