When looking for happiness or guidance in life, there are so many things and people to look to. There are so many things to enjoy, people to have conversations with. But through all of that, I still turn to the person that knows me best, my mom, Mary. If it’s been a tough day, or I am stressed about school, my mom is there to give me advice when it’s most needed. She has a sense of pride that flows through me, which has been instilled in her years and years ago.
Growing up in Central Phoenix, my mom was raised in a strict Greek household, where she lived with her parents and two brothers. Everyday, she had a chance to watch how her mother would raise them, and how she would interpret motherhood. “Family is so important,” said Mary. “My mother would drill that into my head, never lose touch with your family.”
This is just one of the things that were so important in the Athens household, along with making sure that the kids were always happy and taken care of. Mary’s parents would always allow her to hang out with friends, and bring cousins over to the house, knowing it was something that made her so happy.
My mother used these experiences with her friends as boundaries for raising me as I became older. In my teens my mom knew the things that gave me the most joy, and constantly urged me to pursue them, and make the most of my time as a kid. Whether it was sports, hanging out with friends, or letting me participate in after-school activities, she knew letting her child enjoy himself was one of the most important aspects of parenthood. She used fun experiences from when she was a child as reference to how I should have been raised, knowing that she and I are one-in-the same. She always wanted to see my smile, because when I was happy, she was the happiest.
As she has gotten older and been through so many different circumstances as an adult, Mary has held onto core values from when she was a child, but has also found new ones along the way that she has used in her everyday life, and to raise me as I’ve gotten older. Kindness has always been the most important value to her. “Be kind to everybody,” said Mary. “As I’ve gotten older…I think people should be kind.” As she’s gotten older, she has always valued making sure we’re doing ok as a family, and that we’re taken care of as well.
To me, my mom is also a sign of promoting good health and being the best you can be. Now being 55-years-old, she continues to work out almost daily knowing that health is a key factor in not only keeping you happy, but also keeping you young and ready to be there when needed. She also loves doing other things to keep herself active as well, like picking up a part-time job just for fun, or being involved in my education and wanting to help me with it. These are ways she can promote wellness to not only herself, but also to others who may be around the same age.
My mom has raised me with intent, kindness and a nurturing attitude that I truly can’t put into words. Everyday, she makes sure others are ok before she is herself, and loves being accompanied by family that stretches to numerous states. Most of all, she loves to see others smile, and she loves to see me enjoying life to the fullest, because that is what truly makes her happy.
When you look at Mary McCord, you shouldn’t only see a wonderful woman, but you should also see a beautiful, caring mother that takes pride in what she has accomplished.
