Celebrating Concordia’s Moms: Stories of Love & Wisdom
Every Mother’s Day, we celebrate the mother-figures in our lives with flowers, cards and showering them with love. We strive to show our moms a fraction of the love they’ve shown us over the years. This year, we interviewed mothers from across Concordia campuses to learn what inspired them while raising their children.
Our Highlighted Moms
Many amazing mothers call Concordia home, and we wanted to highlight some and share their experiences with you. These moms come from both our retirement living and personal care facilities. Let’s meet them!
Patricia, a Concordia of the South Hills resident, raised three children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Carolyn, a Concordia of Cranberry resident, raised three children and seven grandchildren.
Patsie, a Concordia at Sumner resident, raised three children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
June, a Concordia Village of Tampa resident, raised two sons and no grandchildren — yet!
Lynn, a Concordia at Rebecca Residence resident, raised three daughters, 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren (with two on the way).
Marilyn, a Concordia at Bethlen resident, raised two daughters and two granddaughters.
Geri, a Concordia Haven Retirement Apartment, raised three children, four grandchildren and three “adorable” great-grandchildren.
Mother to Mother
To start, we first wondered who influenced our residents — their own mothers. These matriarchs gave our moms wisdom and a template for their own journeys through motherhood. Through a series of video interviews, our moms shared the best advice their mothers ever gave them. Watch it below!
Loving Motherhood
Mothers experience many trials and tribulations throughout their parenting experience, and they cherish different motherhood memories. We asked our residents to tell us their favorite part about being a mother.
Patricia: “I enjoy feeling the love that’s given back to me.”
Carolyn: “I love seeing their accomplishments.”
Patsie: “I enjoyed watching my three children become responsible, loving and successful adults.”
June: “My favorite part of being a mother was birthing them naturally and seeing my babies for the first time.”
Lynn: “When they were little, I enjoyed doing homework with them. They were amazing. They were obedient, and they had the desire to excel. Now, I love the love they return to me. They are there to protect me.”
Marilyn: “I think back to the days we had a farm. It was such a joy to see my daughters go out with their father to the barn to feed the cows. They loved growing up on the farm. We had so many wonderful memories there and still do. I love my girls so much. Also, we brought them up in the church. They are wonderful Christian girls. They love the lord, and we share that together. It is just an amazing thing to share with my girls. Now I have two granddaughters who are being brought up the same way, and I’m so thrilled to have such wonderful girls. I’m so grateful.”
Geri: “When they were little, they would wrap their arms around me and say, ‘I love you Mom.’ That meant a lot. But it was priceless, when they were older and said the same things.”
Best Advice
In the same way mothers cherish different experiences, they also come away with different lessons. Concordia’s moms are no exception, and they shared some wisdom and advice for new moms and expecting mothers.
Patricia: “Love your children as best as you can.”
Carolyn: “Relax.”
Patsie: “Try having a set dinner time so that everyone can eat and talk as much as possible. We didn’t have cell phones when I was raising my children. I would advise mothers of any age to put their cell phones away when they’re spending time with their children.”
June: “It’s okay to ask for help. Other women have been there before and know what it’s like. But, most importantly, enjoy your baby. They’re only little once.”
Lynn: “Love them. Discipline them, but love them at the same time. Let them know that they made a mistake, but they can rectify it. Be careful with what you do, and think before you do it.”
Marilyn: “I would advise new mothers to devote your time, love and attention to them as they’re growing up. Show them how much you enjoy every little aspect of their lives. Talk to them continually about how much you love them and show them in so many ways. It’s so very important to give them the time when they’re young, and they will come back, even if they may stray during the difficult years. Make sure they know they are the most important people in your lives.”
Geri: “Remember, they’re little for just a short length of time, so enjoy them. But also, make sure that you have God in their life. When they’re older, they won’t depart.”
Thank You
Today, we are thankful to all the mothers across Concordia, not only those who live on Concordia campuses but also those who work at Concordia and the countless others in our communities. And, we offer a special thanks to the mothers in this article, who shared what it means for a mother’s love that knows no bounds.
To learn more about the senior living communities mentioned in this article or the many other loving Concordia communities and home and community services, click here to visit our locations overview page.
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