A Mother’ s Love by
June Marie Smith Founder & CEO TAJJ Cosmetics
There are no manuals, books or classrooms to prepare you for being a mother. However, there are such things as basic principles. Being a mother is a special gift, an instinctive gift given and crafted by God. It’ s something within each and every one of us, some choose to activate it, while others are not aware of the true blessings within. To sum it all up in one word it’ s called LOVE. When you love your children, it teaches them how to love. It shapes them and cultivates their minds. I was blessed with three amazing young men, Andre, Jevar and Tyler. They are my most precious gift. They taught me how to love unconditionally, the true meaning of acceptance, how to give from the heart, to be honest and kind, and to be truthful, they taught me patience.
Growing up, the thought of having children was far from my mind. But that quickly changed when I had my first son Andre in 1990, my life changed completely. His cries taught me how to understand the needs of others. I realized that each cry meant something different. When his diaper needed to be changed, when he needed to be held and fed, or when he needed to sleep or simply to be left alone. He taught me how to communicate effectively, my voice was not the only one needed to be heard, but I also needed to hear his. We established an open dialogue very early, it was the first step to understanding his feelings and for effective communication between us. My son taught me how to listen, he equipped me with what I needed to be a better mother to his two other siblings that followed six years later.
As a single mother, I quickly learned that I had to live my life with inclusion, to allow those around me to give advice and support. Having a very close knit family helped with the development of my sons. They taught them the things they needed to grow and mature into dignified young men, but my role as a mother had to be established, they needed to see me in them. I ensured that they never felt different, I sacrificed a lot in order to give them a much better life, better than the one I had growing up.
My sons are now young adult men. My oldest is now grown and living on his own, and I know for sure the other two will soon follow. My heart smiles when the car pulls up in the driveway and the doorbell rings and my oldest comes to visit. I still love the thought of them requesting their favorite meals, it’ s the love you feel for your children and you simply want to make them happy. I wouldn’ t change the course of my life for anything in the world. Loving my children taught them how to love and trust, the same that gave them the foundation they needed to grow emotionally. I have gotten so much from them, as much as they have received from me, my gift from them is so much Greater than I had given to them.
THRIVE MAGAZINE 13