6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2023
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WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES
editor's note editor's note
Photo by Corey Miller
Photography
Echoing Echoing
My Mom's My Mom's
Values Values
PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren
leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net
Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom
EDITOR & WEBMASTER Chris Jones
chris@fredericksburgparent.net
Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad
MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
megan@fredericksburgparent.net
Megan Walsh:
Mia, Noelle & Adelaide's mom
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Cheryl Carter: Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom
CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER
caroline@fredericksburgparent.net
Caroline Murray:
Nate and Brendan's mom
EDUCATION & INFANT ELETTERS
Debra Caffrey:
Aidan's mom
SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
jessica@fredericksburgparent.net
Jessica Trask:
Cye, Asher and Ragan's mom
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Mira Dover
MARKETING & EVENT INTERN
Ragan Trask
It's May. If you're like me, you find that hard to believe. The year has
progressed with blazing speed and as the adage goes, the universe waits
for no one. I love May because it ushers in the Star Wars Day, the unofficial
start of summer and beach season on Memorial Day and consistently warm
temperatures. What I like best, though, is the celebration of Mother's Day.
Growing up, I have fond memories of my grandmother, who raised me.
As a kid, she taught me a lot about character, respect and hard work. Of
course, as a teenage boy, I didn't want to hear any of that, but the lessons
she taught me about those three things are the reason I have had any
measurable success in life.
I found myself parroting my grandmother
a few weeks ago while having a
conversation with my teenage son.
He didn't show proper respect to his
grandparents, and I was displeased. As
we talked, I found myself giving him the
same talk about character and reputation
that my grandmother had given me. I
reminded him that as a young man, his
greatest allies are those established
adults—parent and grandparent figures—
who are invested in his wellbeing, who
will look after him into his adult years and be a source of wisdom when
he needs a voice to listen to that doesn't sound like mine. I told him of
the numerous time I was able to turn to my grandmother's friends and the
adults she built around me. And if I had grown up a disrespectful son, that
support wouldn't have been there. It was there because they loved her and
saw the work she put into me take shape.
Moms are special like that. We don't always appreciate the message they
bring, but that maternal wisdom comes from years of observation. They
know good and bad character like the backs of their hands, and they'll
die before they let any son of theirs go into the world lacking respect
and empathy.
For all of you mothers who don't think your boys hear
you, they do. And you'll see just how much after they
leave home.
For all of you
mothers who
don't think your
boys hear you,
they do.
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