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If there’s anyone in the world who deserves a shoutout, it’s definitely mom. Well, moms.
They care for us for nine months in the womb and then decades after. They raise us, they feed us (ahem, still feed us), and they love us. From keeping our dirty hands out of our mouths as curious kids to keeping us from putting our feet in our mouths as impetuous adults, what on earth don’t they do? How could I even begin to encapsulate all of it in a single blog post? Impossible.
I’ll start here, though. A little less than three decades ago, my mom was working as a full-time nurse in Hawai’i and juggling everything that came with being a mom to me and my sister. She was Wonder Woman in scrubs and her powerful accessories were her stethoscope and hemostat. How did she do it? I still ask myself that today, but the only answer I’ve been able to come up with is—she’s a mom.
We should never limit honoring the moms and women in our lives to just one calendar-sanctioned holiday, but Mother’s Day is a great reminder to do both. So, in the spirit of celebrating all moms, a few AdPurp teammates and I want to reminisce and talk about why we appreciate our moms so much.
What’s your favorite memory that you have with your mom?
Blake R: My mom is definitely a jokester, so there’s always something funny when I hang out with her. One thing is for sure, we both laugh the hardest when we roast my dad together for half an hour straight.
Bisma A: I could honestly say that all my favorite memories with my mom have to do with us shopping together. My mom is a style icon and our love for shopping has created a fun mom-daughter bonding time for us. Whether it be just roaming around our local mall or going dress shopping in Pakistani boutiques, my mom and I love spending time together doing what we love best.
Ginny L: Oh gosh, there’s a lot to choose from, it’s probably when I visited my mom’s KBBQ restaurant in Korea last winter. After eating as much KBBQ as I could, I was helping my mom close for the night. We decided to add a little sprinkle of fun by blasting and jamming out to our favorite songs as if we were Troy and Gabriella in High School Musical. Little did we both know that there were customers still waiting outside for their Ubers in front of the store’s large mirror windows, and right when we faced the window to see our reflections, we made the most awkward eye contact with the people who ate inside just minutes ago. There was the longest moment of silence, both in the restaurant and outside the patio where the customers were. I swear it was a minute-long staring contest between the windows. We were both really embarrassed and my mom turned super red too, but we were laughing so hard right after the customers finally left down the stairs. My mom said she was never going to do that again, but who knows? The same customers might come back again to see another free mother-daughter show!
Tim L: My favorite memory would have to be when we traveled to Vietnam in 2009. My mom, sister, and I were in Vietnam for about a month during summer and visited relatives all over the country. It felt like multiple vacations were fit into one because we saw and did so many different things.
What’s one of the most important things that you learned from your mom?
Blake R: Being that my mom was a nurse for 25 years, one thing she instilled in me was learning to listen to people. I think passing that down to me has allowed me to build a lot of relationships that I may not have been able to if I had my guard up. It’s also probably why I gravitated towards being such an amazing (*cough cough*) Account Manager. Another thing my mother has no shortage of, that I learned, is having confidence in yourself. Growing up, I was always hesitant. What does that person think of me? What would happen if I did this or that? Owning what you do, because it’s who you are, has really made me content with my life’s decisions and I haven’t looked back or regretted something in a very long time.
Bisma A: One of the most important things that I learned from my mom would definitely be to always be thankful yet humble for what we have. My mom always says that God has blessed us with so much, yet people tend to forget all the things they have until they realize it is gone. So, being thankful for what we have is key! Remaining humble and never bragging is another thing. Bragging has led people nowhere and my mom has taught my sisters and me better than to show off about anything that we have.
Ginny L: One of the most important things I’ve learned from my mom is how to say “no.” I used to have a habit of saying “yes” because I was scared of being too selfish and making someone upset if I turned down a request or offer. However, my mom has taught me to make decisions that we can carry on and live with—and sometimes that requires saying “no.” It may hurt some feelings, it may be the harder way out, and I may face some consequences, but my mom taught me that it’s never an obligation to devote my time and efforts to something I don’t believe in doing at the moment. (Unless she asks me to do my chores… that’s a different story). Whether it’s in college or the workplace, I’ve learned that saying “no” is just as important as saying “yes.” There’s still a long way to go, but I am starting to become more confident in where I stand in my decisions, both big and small!
Tim L: One of the most important things I learned from my mom is to always keep your head up and keep moving forward. She taught me that determination and a strong work ethic can get you very far. I definitely continue to embody this lesson as an adult and apply this mindset whenever I am dealing with challenges or facing obstacles.
What do you appreciate most about your mom? And what about moms in general?
Blake R: This was probably the easiest to answer. That’s patience. My mom had one child and what a tornado that kid was. It wasn’t easy raising little me, but she was always patient with me. Now that I’m older, I recognize it takes all the willpower in the world to not pick me up, shake me, and scream at me to shut up.
Bisma A: My mom has always been there for me 24/7. She literally does everything for me. She sacrifices her time for my sisters and me, and she is always there to take care of us in any situation or scenario. Moms, in general, have given up so much for the sake of their children and that makes them the most selfless people. We don’t appreciate moms enough, but moms are truly superheroes.
Ginny L: My mom is the backbone of our family. She immigrated to the US almost right after her marriage without knowing anything about the American language, culture, and people. Although she was able to quickly adapt to the new change (and is now more comfortable living in the U.S. than in Korea!), her journey wasn’t a smooth sail. However, my mom is one of the strongest and most resilient people I know. She woke up every morning at 6 am to make me breakfast and write a little encouragement note before I went to school. She cooked and cleaned the house while having a full-time job for 10+ years in the States. And she was always there to support and listen, even at times when she needed words of encouragement herself. Moms make choices to put their child’s happiness above their own. They make sacrifices and work hard to show their children a positive outlook on life. They have a million overwhelming responsibilities each day, yet they never show a single sign of struggle or weakness. Despite her nagging and reminders, I appreciate my mom (and all mothers) the most, because she is the real superhero of my world.
Tim L: That’s a tough question! If I had to say, it’s probably the fact that she always made herself available. Whether I was a child that needed help with something or an adult calling from many states away to catch up, she was never too busy. I think that moms are our number one fan, so I appreciate that they want to spend as much time with us as we do with them.
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Oh, and me? I can say so many things about my mom, but the one that stands out most is that she is the reason why I never give up. She’s tenacious, an incredible cook, and the hardest worker I know. I look at her as if she’s always wearing a superhero cape. Our best times have to be wandering through spice markets and landmarks in Amsterdam, Egypt, and Jordan with my dad and sister. But eating Hawaiian food and listening to Norah Jones on our drives? Equally memorable.
To all the moms and women in our lives that make memories with us and teach us things that last a lifetime, thank you. Happy Mother’s Day to all of them!
