GAZELLE MAGAZINE MAY 2018 | Page 40

HEARTH & HOME What Mother’s Day Means to Me B y Va l e d a K e y s T hree words come to mind when it comes to Mother’s Day: gratitude, sacrifice and accountability. It’s the little things that my mother has instilled in me and my siblings. A mother sacrifices so much for her children, and you don’t realize it until you’ve sacrificed so much for your own. My mother was the one who introduced us to God. My mother was the one who bought my first Bible. My mother is my first hero. When it comes to breast cancer, I didn’t have to ask anyone questions because I had my mother (gratitude). We’ve both  survived breast cancer a total of four times. That alone comes with gratitude, sacrifice and accountability. We tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation. What that really means to us is being responsible together. When a mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, she is not only thinking about death and pain. She is also thinking about her children. Who will take care of my children? Who will pray for them? Who will go above and beyond for them? My mother didn’t make us say "Yes, ma’am" or "No, ma’am." Yes or no was sufficient. But what she did make sure we said was “thank you.” A thank you takes you places a college degree won’t. It’s the little things a mother makes sure her children have, and having good manners is one of them. My mother has instilled a few things in us. 1. “Just accessorize” when it come to fashion. You don’t always have to have a name brand. 2. Your faith doesn’t have to be talked about; move quietly, let God move on your behalf. 3. When it comes to your hair, keep your ends clipped. 4. The key to your nails is cuticles, cleanliness and keeping nails trimmed. My mother became a manicurist after her first bout with breast cancer, and the chemotherapy treatments turned her nails blue. 5. Don’t leave the house looking a m