10 Answers From My Mother - So About What I Said

On Tuesday, I posed these 10 questions to my mother in an effort to get to know her better. Her hopes. Her dreams. Her advice to my generation. And in typical Ms. Bear fashion, she wasn’t shy about unleashing her thoughts. Take a look at her answers…

1. What’s your fondest memory from childhood?
My fondest memory from childhood has to be going on a two-week vacation every summer to Pentwater, Michigan. My dad cooked pancakes every single morning! We swam until we could swim no more. There were 72 steps leading from our cabin to the beach and we were up and down them all day.

2. How has your mother influenced your life?
My mother influenced my life in every single way. She was both a role model and a friend to me. I miss her every day and I still, to this day, ask myself, “What would my mother do?”

3. Did you always want to be a mom? Why?
I wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember. I had Melissa’s name picked out when I was still a kid myself.

4. If you could change one thing about your past, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about my past it would have to be that I would slow down and appreciate every little minute of every day. I would have put that newspaper down in the mornings when I was visiting my parents and really listened to what they had to say!

5. What is one thing you’d like to say to today’s generation?
To today’s generation…..It’s not all about you!!!

6. What’s the biggest lesson marriage taught you?
The biggest lesson marriage taught me is you have to compromise!!!

7. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? Was it worth it?
The most adventurous thing I ever did was survive after Brian died. I never thought I could do it and I did! It was totally worth it, to reclaim my own life and carry on.

8. If you could go back to any stage of motherhood, where would you go and why?
If I could go back to any stage of motherhood (and believe me, I wouldn’t!) it would be when Melissa was 10 and Janelle 6. Wonderful family times!

9. What was your #1 fear as a new mother? Your #1 joy?
My number one fear as a new mom was that I would do something wrong. My number one joy was holding the girls as they slept.

10. What is one thing you’d like to ask your daughters?
One thing I would like to ask my daughters is, “Are you ok? Was I a good mom?“