Living Life Through My Mother’s Eyes: Lessons from a Heart Full of Love
My goal has always been to help others uncover and nurture their truest selves. Yet, some of the most profound lessons in my own life have come from observing my mother and the way she moves through the world—quietly, gracefully, and with a rare openness. She is, in every way, a testament to the strength that comes not from resilience or guardedness but from a pure and simple heart.
Her life has not been an easy one at all (I could write an entire book about it). With everything she has gone through, I am amazed at how loving she has remained, even when the very people who should have protected her and made her feel safe failed to do so. Through the hardships, she has stayed grounded in kindness and resilience, and it’s taught me more about true strength than anything else ever could.
Growing up, I often mistook her softness for fragility and her kindness for naivety. But as I’ve come to truly see her, I’ve come to realize that my mother’s approach to life embodies a quiet resilience that has taught me about love, vulnerability, and the art of staying open. Here are some of the gifts she has unknowingly shared with me, gifts I continue to carry forward in my life and work.
A Heart Full of Love, Free from Bitterness
My mother has a natural ability to love without expectation, extending her warmth to everyone around her, including those who may not have treated her with kindness. It’s as if her love has an endless wellspring, untouched by past hurt or disappointment. To her, each moment with another person is an invitation to love again, without letting old wounds color the experience.
Watching her, I’ve learned that love doesn’t have to be perfect or reserved for those who ‘deserve’ it. Genuine love, as my mother shows, is resilient—it thrives despite past betrayals or misunderstandings. She’s taught me that the strength of love lies in its ability to flow forward, unencumbered, and that bitterness only burdens the heart. This insight has been transformational for me in my practice, as I help others release the bitterness they may hold and find freedom in loving without expectation.
Keeping the Inner Child Alive
There’s a spark in my mother that hasn’t dimmed with age. She finds joy in simple things, laughs freely, and approaches life with the curiosity and wonder of a child. She has never lost her connection to her inner child, and in watching her, I’ve realized that this is one of her most profound sources of authenticity.
Life often has a way of weighing us down, of making us serious, cautious, and overly guarded. But my mother reminds me that our inner child, that voice inside us that yearns for play and joy, is not something we need to abandon as we age. Keeping that spirit alive, as she has, can serve as a source of light and healing.
Working with clients, I often encourage them to reconnect with their inner child, to find that part of themselves that’s free from judgment and caution. My mother has shown me that doing so is not a step backward but a step toward wholeness.
The Strength of Vulnerability
For a long time, I misunderstood my mother’s vulnerability, interpreting it as a sign of weakness. She wears her heart on her sleeve, speaks openly of her feelings, and lets people see her, flaws and all. In my younger years, I thought that this openness left her exposed, vulnerable to hurt, and easily taken advantage of. But as I’ve grown, I now see that her vulnerability is one of her greatest strengths. She is open, not because she is weak, but because she dares to live authentically, unafraid of what others might think. In a world where it’s so much easier to shut ourselves off, to build walls around our hearts, my mother has chosen the braver path. She embraces vulnerability as a way of staying connected to herself and others, of living a life that is truly her own.
This lesson has deeply influenced my approach to therapy. Vulnerability is a superpower—one that allows us to build meaningful connections and live in alignment with our true selves. My mother has taught me that strength is not about closing ourselves off but about allowing ourselves to stay open, even when it’s hard.
Through her Eyes
In each of these qualities—love, playfulness, and vulnerability—my mother has shown me a path to living authentically. Where I once saw weakness, I now see a profound strength that I work to foster in myself and encourage others. These qualities remind us that true strength isn’t about resisting the world but about embracing it fully, about living each moment with love, curiosity, and openness.
Living life through my mother’s eyes has been a gift, one that I carry forward in my practice as The Planet Therapist. As I continue on my path, I hope to share her lessons with others, helping them to live with love, find joy in the little things, and embrace the strength that comes from vulnerability.
