My mother taught me to listen to what others had to say. This advice has helped me become a good therapist. Here are what some other counselors, authors and a top chef have to say about their moms.
"My daughter and I wrote a book together, an eye-opening and intense experience, about struggles during her teen years. She is in her mid-30s now and recently gave a tearful and emotional toast to me on my 60th birthday at the site of where we scattered my own mother's ashes. She said, 'My mother is a truly amazing woman.' I don't think I realized until then that she'd forgiven me for my frailties as a parent all those years ago." — Linda Rio, who with daughter Tara Rio wrote "The Anorexia Diaries: Triumph of a Mother and Daughter over Teenage Eating Disorders"
"This is what my mother told me before I came to the U.S.A. (from Italy): You can run 1,000 miles per hour, but if you don't decide where to go before, you'll run in a circle and go nowhere. A goal without a plan is just a wish, and we can waste time in wishing." — Fabio Viviani, executive chef and "Top Chef" fan favorite
"In 'Second Sight,' I write about how my mother — a physician — on her deathbed, chose to tell me 'our family secrets' in that I came from a whole lineage of intuitive healers on her side of the family. Mother never supported me in developing intuition, particularly as a physician, as she didn't want others to think I was weird. She wanted me to be happy, to fit in, to be mainstream. Ah, a mother's love! If only she had trusted my maverick nature that was never mainstream." — Judith Orloff, M.D., author of "Second Sight"
"I recently read a classic book on grief, which suggested that a person's impact in life can only truly be measured once that person dies. It's then that you can fully feel the footprint this person has left on your heart. In losing my closest friend and biggest cheerleader — my mother — in a car accident a year and a half ago, I have reflected on the magic she imparted to the world and how she lives on in both subtle and obvious ways within me and my children. Mother's Day is just another invitation to be grateful for richness of our mother-daughter relationship." — Michele Weiner-Davis, author of "Divorce Busting"
"My mother has taught me generosity of spirit. No matter what the circumstance, she has always been able to consider another person's needs and act accordingly. My mother has also taught me about loyalty and trust. There is no one in this world more faithful and responsible to those whom she loves." — Susan Shapiro Barash, author of "Toxic Friends: The Antidote for Women Stuck in Complicated Friendships"
Whatever your mom gave you will be with you forever; in return, make this one day special for her.
Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., a marriage and family therapist in Westlake, Calif., is the author, most recently, of "Emotional Fitness at Work." He also hosts "Emotional Fitness" on NPR. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.