My mom, Angela Palacios (47), entered motherhood at the age of 17. Three decades later, she now has three kids and two young grandchildren. This Mother’s Day, I couldn’t think of a more beautiful tribute to celebrate being a mother than by speaking to my own mom candidly about her experiences.
I first asked about advice she has for new and expectant mothers. “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she quickly responded. “There are so many different circumstances and situations that you’ll experience as a mother. There will be times you have to make great sacrifices, not only based on what you want but based on what they need.”
“Don’t beat yourself up for it and don’t let anybody make you feel bad about making decisions that are the best decisions for you and your children. Just appreciate every moment that you have because they grow up so fast.”
When asked about the best Mother’s Day gift she’s received throughout the years, she proudly displays a silver necklace with a small chain and round bead details given to her by my brother Roy. She shares that during a spring fundraiser in grade school, his teacher came to her and said that my brother insisted on meeting a fundraising goal to receive the necklace as a prize, so that he would have a nice gift for our mother on Mother’s Day.
“While it may not have much monetary value, to me, it has a lot of value because it reminds me that even at 6 or 7 years of age, he had a lot of tenacity to want to do something and to get it done for me.”
To hear more from Angela Palacios on motherhood and becoming a grandparent, you can watch the full interview on our La Prensa Texas Facebook or Instagram.