You Did Well, Mom! Four Students and Two Parents Share Mothers' Wisdom

Many children believe their mothers are full of wisdom and sound advice that lasts a lifetime.

My mother, the late Annie J. Young, who was an esteemed educator in New Jersey, encouraged me with “you can do whatever you set your mind to do.”

And in our home the mantra was, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” She understood the power of words.

I spoke with a group of high school students spending time together May 6 at Panera Bread in Pikesville. And each was eager to tell how wonderful their mothers are. Each said they feel empowered from their mothers' sound advice.

I also spoke with two mothers—one who shared with me some advice she gave her son, and one who recalls her mother's kind words of praise.

Every bit of the advice I heard does seem wise. And it's worthy of sharing today, Mother's Day.

Pikesville resident Matthew Hendricks credits his mother Sherry Hendricks with inspiring him to persevere and stay true to himself.

“Success isn’t what’s important; it’s the process you use to get there," he recalls her saying. “You should and will be happy in whatever you want to be and do.”

It's this kind of advice that will carry all four seniors through challenging times to come as they head off to colleges this fall.

Jaclyn Masket of Owings Mills said she cherishes these words from her mother, Debbie Masket: “You’re destined to be better," and "Live like it matters."

Owings Mills resident Emily Rothkin said she is comforted by advice from her mother, Donna Rothkin: "Don’t stress about anything. It will get done when it needs to be done."

What a nice way to be reassured.

And Andy Lee said that after he completed his SAT exam, he told his mother he felt he could have gotten a higher score. His mother, Mei-Ching Lee, responded with words of reassurance. "Some people are made to carry 10 pounds and others are meant to carry 20 pounds," he recalls her saying.

Tonya Sewell from the Pikesville area has been her mother’s primary caregiver for the past six years.

When her mom, Josephine Davis, was near death, she told her: "You’re going to be fine," and that "we all belong to God and we are loaned to each other."

Her mother's health is better now. Sewell also recalled these comforting words: "Your faith will keep you from giving up in the midst of adversity."

Sewell is studying social work at the University of Maryland.  

Terri Ross Pollock of Randallstown shared some of the advice she has given her son: "Get an education, be true to yourself, and work hard."

She recalls about 25 years ago, when she was in labor for 26 hours, and she rejoices in the man—the pastor—he has become.

Correction: In the original version of this article, the name Hendricks was misspelled. We regret the error.