The Generational Wisdom of Mothers Everywhere

“You bet your life, baby!”  That really just drives it home. Mothers are the ultimate influencers, connecting across time and generations. As Mother’s Day approaches, I find myself hearing my mom’s words and picking up her expressions without a second thought because well, there just doesn’t seem to be a better way to say it. Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, my mom has been a major influence in my life, a true word-master who always finds a way to put an exclamation point on things. Her expressions have become my inheritance, a living reminder of the maternal wisdom that shapes who we become.

Full-circle moments - when we realize these expressions are a big part of the evidence that we’re carrying forward maternal legacies. I'm sure I saw Greg, as a young boy, move from protest to silence when he heard me exclaim “I bet dollars to donuts” you haven’t done your homework. These sayings bring laughter into our busy lives and laughing together is a sign of healthy relationships. They bind the generations loosely together - 3 generations - my mom’s, my life and my son, Greg. I am also reminded that there are those that came before my mom and her mom and those that will come after Greg too.  

Some of you know that I have the unique privilege of working alongside my son, Greg, in our real estate business. This mother-son professional partnership has heightened my awareness of how words shape our experiences and relationships. As we help families find their homes, I've gained a special perspective on how the expressions we use connect us across time—linking our past, present, and future. We all carry our own stories, and ultimately, the words we choose and how we make others feel become our lasting legacy. What fascinates me most is this beautiful continuity: the story passed down to me by my mother, the chapters I'm writing in my own life, and the narrative I'm helping my son develop—this precious inheritance of expression that flows through generations, especially through mothers to their children.

My mom encouraged me to grow and learn and explore. I spent plenty of time outdoors catching pollywogs, selling peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to passersby and ice skating on the pond. When I was about fourteen, my mom sat me down and asked if I was willing to take more responsibility for my siblings and the home if she pursued her Masters Degree and went to work. I remember I felt scared and at the same time, I felt that when she asked me and the way she did, she respected me and challenged me at the same time. It was a big teaching lesson for me. I know I didn’t always do the job she would have wanted me to, but I also felt a sense of obligation to the greater good and to her pursuit of her growth, full potential and fulfillment. 

When Greg was young, I encouraged his time outdoors, riding/racing his big-wheel, making snow caves and yes, catching pollywogs. I worked lots of hours and most days in real estate all through his growing up. But I promised him a few traditions carried from the way my mom had carried on. We always had dinner together every Friday evening, where we held hands and said our thanks, shared our gratitude and just before bedtime every evening, I would sing a made up song of sorts that always began “this is a song about rainbows and all the things we do, about play time and hard times...” and it went on and on with my prompts, encouraging him to share the events of his day, happy and sad, scary and exciting as we continued to sing, alternating my introduction of where he had been and his telling what had happened or how he felt about it. There was never any anxiety to remain as we sang it out. He never had a nightmare and I attribute that to The Rainbow Song. Some nights the song was longer and many times very short as he drifted off to sleep. We called it the Rainbow Song; It was my way of being honest, making him feel safe and his ideas and fears respected, just as my mom had done for me so many years before.  

As Greg continued his journey through school years and during college, the clear path for me was to do my best to balance guidance and autonomy. I encouraged him to be creative while committed to move forward and to continually grow. At a career crossroads, Greg joined me at Susan Sells before college graduation. To be working together, created big opportunities for both of us as well as possibilities to fail. It was up to me to find the balance of leadership by example, guidance and autonomy and for him to remain creative, curious and committed to growth. Today, Greg and I work closetly together to strategically steer the business forward to realize my vision to have an impact through our message of the holistic or intrinsic value of real estate and home for everyone. 

Mom always showed us her child-like curiosity and was able to find something interesting in just about everything. She encouraged us to look below the surface of things. Her appreciation for music wasn't just for the aesthetic. As an educator and leader in early childhood, she believed it had developmental impact and lots more. She encouraged my piano lessons for over 10 years and had me sharing my limited talent at school and at home. We thought it was crazy but she drove me and my brother over an hour to take recorder lessons. I think it was because of the discipline of this simple barely melodic instrument.

I found myself channeling this same curiosity when raising Greg. While he never really committed to the guitar, and his beat-making days were short-lived, I encouraged him to look beyond the obvious in everything from schoolwork to friendships. “There's always more to the story," I'd tell him, echoing Mom's sentiment without even realizing it at the time.

Now in our real estate business, this inherited curiosity serves us well. When Greg and I talk strategy, we tear the subject apart first to see what it’s made of and if after that exercise it’s worthy of our effort and aligns with our vision, we put things back together and go. Working with buyers, I notice how Greg instinctively looks beyond the surface features—checking foundation corners or asking about neighborhood dynamics—just as my mother taught me to listen for more than just the melody. Sometimes I'll catch myself saying, "Let's stop and listen carefully, tune our ears to this house," and smile at how Mom's musical metaphors have found their way into our professional vocabulary.

We have a strong mother-son bond and an enviable working relationship too. Before motherhood, perhaps my maternal instinct led me to want to spend a life nurturing, leading, guiding and empowering my own business. I enjoy the work and the freedom of being a business owner. Real estate has been my career longer than Greg has been on this earth. He told me many times that he’d never do what I do. This unexpected partnership has allowed me to shape a unique maternal legacy. Together we are building a business worth owning and a legacy worth leaving. 

The hallmark of my mother’s voice is exemplified by how she described herself as a young woman. She proudly says “I was no Wallflower.” She sure wasn’t. I hear her voice in my words and feel fortunate to be both a daughter and a mother. I love watching these connections play out in a professional context too. While life is busy,  and can be confusing at times, motherhood transcends generations and evolves at the same time. 

This Mother's Day, I reflect on how thankful I am for my mom and everything she brings to her role as a mother. Her lessons about curiosity, risk-taking, and believing in the person you're meant to be continue to guide both my parenting and my professional life. As I watch these values flow from my mother to me, and then to Greg, I'm reminded that looking beneath the surface—seeing the full story—enriches all relationships, not just those between mothers and children. This Mother's Day, I celebrate not just my mom, but the beautiful continuity of maternal wisdom that connects us all through generations.