Like mother like daughter

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life thus far, it’s that nearly all daughters share a great deal of commonalities with their mothers.

Just the other day, I was told by a neighbor up in M-ville that I was the spitting image of my mom (which I took as a great compliment). And, while we’re certainly not clones, I’ve realized that I share many of the same personality traits as my mother as well. (Again, I’m flattered by this.) From her, I learned how to be loving, trusting, polite, kind, gracious and loyal.

Another thing I’ve learned? That I’m not the best at standing up for myself. Like my mom, I’d rather just cry it out than make anyone (mostly myself) feel awkward by voicing my feelings and concerns. For as great a communicator as I am in other situations, I have a tendency to ward off any flying debris by simply reverting back to my shell. (And then punishing those closest to me with the would haves and should haves…)

I’m very thankful for my mom’s wonderful guidance and for the person she has helped me become. (She has been a WONDERFUL role model!) But, I’ve experienced too many situations where both my mom and myself opted for shutting up, rather than speaking out.

While some people set personal challenges for themselves such as running a marathon or climbing the tallest mountain, my challenge to myself is to learn to be more vocal and just a little more comfortable in those incredibly uncomfortable moments. After all, how much of ourselves and our feelings should we sacrifice for the sake of being polite?

Photo available at http://www.canadasmountains.com/canadian_rockies/sulphur_mountain/second_peak_of_sulphur_mountain.jpg