As you all know, it’s Mother’s Day this weekend. And if you didn’t, stop reading this and go get your mom some flowers or a card. You slacker. The SmartFile team wanted to honor their mothers, so we asked the office what we each learned from our mothers. We got some… interesting answers.

What is the most important thing you learned from your mother?

“My mother taught me a lot about raising her grandkids. My mother has also been the most helpful as I work on my personal Family Tree project.” -Ryan Johnston



“The most important thing my mother taught me was how to be creative. My mom is an extremely crafty and creative person and she passed that on to me throughout my childhood. She encouraged me to draw, paint, doodle and create which most likely aided in my career path and personal interests.” -Kevin O’Keefe

“My mother taught computer science at a local college when I was in elementary school. This meant she always had a computer at home, and computer programming books. My mother got me started using the computer and she brought home a lot of books and material for me. Without that early exposure to computer programming, I would certainly not be as interested in writing software as I am today.” -Ben Timby

What is something you wish your mother had taught you?

“I wish my mother had taught me that there is more than one way to tie your shoes. I Googled it this one time and found out there are like eleven ways to tie your shoes and she only taught me one. What’s up with that, Mom?” -Ryan Johnston

“I wish my mother had taught me more about gardening. She’s a really good gardener and has an extremely well kept yard. Now that I have my own house I constantly call her for advice on what to plant, when to fertilize, how to take care of flowers, and everything else.” -Kevin O’Keefe

“Her style of cursive handwriting. Her handwriting is very clear. Mine is pretty messy.” -Sean Farley

Name something your mother probably wishes she hadn’t taught you?

“My mom probably wishes she taught me to cook more. If I have to cook dinner it’s either grilled cheese or something from the freezer to the microwave. She always comments on how easy things are to cook but it’s all Greek to me.” -Kevin O’Keefe

“Stepping on a crack breaks her back. It may not have hurt her back, but I am sure her voice was sore from saying “ouch” every few seconds.” -Sean Farley

“You don’t have to do dishes if you eat out.” -Katie Frampton

What is something you will never admit to your mother that you learned from her?

“I’ll never forget the day I realized with my kids that the reason mom knew we were up to no good was because it got quiet. It’s not about eyes on the back of mom’s heads. It’s about the unusual silence triggering a parent to check out the situation.” -Ryan Johnston

“I think I learned empathy from her.” -Sean Farley

“I got my sense of humor from my mom. We both have the same dry wit and love to make side comments. But, she thinks I’m hilarious.. so I’m just going to let her think I’m funny on my own accord.” -Katie Frampton

All joking aside, we have a lot to thank our moms for. They put up with us through our difficult phases and can now reap the benefits.

Let’s hear from you guys, what did or didn’t your mom teach you?