What I love about Mom is an extremely meaningful and introspective book written by a woman who had been a single mom for 23 years when she wrote this. Although she was in the process of being a happily married woman, she still felt the weight of being a single mom and how that effected her life. She wrote in a very easy to understand language, and she included a lot of illustrations and pictures to help readers get an idea of what she was talking about. In her book, she shares several wonderful stories of how she helped her children, and even grandkids, to realize that they did not need to be poor because of circumstances that were unique to them.
What I love about Mom is a book on relationships that really changed my view of the ones that I am in love with. It took being in an abusive relationship before I realized that I could love someone who was abusive. I guess the difference there is that the abuse in this book came from the actions of one partner, not the victim or the abused. The book talks about how it can be hard for some people to find love, and that some relationships are just impossible. In this case, one partner was not abusive, and what made this book so meaningful to me was that she was able to help others figure out what love means to them, regardless of why they are in a relationship.
What I love about mom also includes a brief look at what she thinks love is. She lists seven universal attributes of love, and what she calls the “love compass”. These attributes are appreciation, caring, sharing, empathy, support, reciprocation, and priority. As someone who has shared those attributes with my children, I can certainly agree with what mom writes about. When you share your life with someone, you have a reason to be there for them, you feel like they are important, and you have a responsibility to make them feel like they are important.
What I love about mom’s list of attributes is that she offers practical advice. She does not put down anyone, and she does not offer advice that will only work for one person. The book talks about how to raise children in an imperfect world, and how to deal with the difference between loving someone and loving something. She tells readers to ask themselves, “What do I love about this person? “, and then write that down, even if it means that you have to say, “You are my best friend.”
The final chapter of What I Love About Mom takes readers on a tour through her home. Each room is painted by one of her six children, and each child’s painting features things that either mom created herself, or that are related to her family. It really makes you realize what her life was like, and what she would do if she had more time. In the end, the book concludes with a meditation on what it means to love yourself and on how to let go of any past hurts. This book ends up being very uplifting, and I recommend it highly to anyone who has difficulty feeling their own answers to how they should love themselves.
What I Love About Mom is a very personal book, and one that addresses many different issues and concerns people have when becoming a parent. However, it is clearly written for women, and the book addresses many common problems that both men and women face when becoming a parent. Although many of the chapters are addressed in other books about motherhood, what really stands out is how personal the writing is. If you are struggling with some of the same issues you face, this may be a good book for you to read.
