Ode to My Mom and the Woman Who Shaped Me

The word "mom" can mean so many different things to different people. Some moms have tots, while others have teens. Other moms have fur babies, sometimes an entire household full of them. You might be a grandmother, an aunt, a sister or a cousin. You might have a brood of your own, or you might simply be the person everyone turns to for that particular kind of love, guidance and maternal advice.

You might be called Ma, Mom, Madre, Ahm, Majka, Mae, Matka, Mor, Moeder, Mere, Maman, Mutter, Mamma, Okaasan, Haha, Mat, Mzazi or Mo, just to name a few. There are so many names and so many different ways to be that person for someone.

The Woman I've Always Looked Up To

For me, my mom is one of the most amazing people in my life. When I originally wrote this in 2018, we were living 3,000 miles apart, which wasn't always easy, but we managed by getting on the phone together nearly every day.

My mom is a woman I have always admired. She raised me, my brother and my sister on her own while working as an elementary school teacher. I watched her work incredibly hard while still showing up for all three of us, and that example has stayed with me throughout my own life.

My Mom Taught Me to Follow My Heart

My mom always encouraged me to follow my heart, and I watched her do the same throughout her own career. She worked tirelessly through graduate school in her 40s and eventually became a vice principal and then a principal before she retired. She never stopped showing me that it wasn't too late to work toward something bigger or change the direction of your life.

I think having such a strong, positive role model was one of the biggest reasons I had the guts to start my own jewelry business. Building Colleen Mauer Designs required me to trust myself long before I had any proof that it was all going to work out. Looking back, I can see how much of that courage was modeled for me by my mom.

The Women Who Help Shape Us

I originally wrote this little ode to my mom in 2018, and all these years later, the gratitude behind it hasn't changed. So much of who we become comes from the people who show us what's possible, whether that's our mothers or the other women who have loved us, encouraged us and helped us find our way.

I'm incredibly grateful for mine. She's incredible.

I'd still love to hear what the word "mom" means to you and about the women who helped shape who you are.

With so much love for my mom,
Colleen

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.

Published: May 1, 2018
Updated: August 13, 2026