Here at CV Skinlabs, we wish all you moms out there a very happy Mother’s Day!
It is with a heavy heart that I greet this holiday this year. My beautiful mother left this life last month. Sadly, I won’t get to spend the day with her, but I will get to honor her memory and the great impact she had on my life.
My mother was full of grace, beauty, and kindness. She touched everyone with her goodness and was a pillar of strength for our family and community.
It was because of my mom, you see, that I’m doing what I’m doing today. She inspired me to live a purposeful life and ingrained the concept of holistic wellness early on.
This Mother’s Day, I Remember My Mom’s Care and Concern for Others
My mother was a self-taught naturalist. She showed me the many ways nature and science can work together to provide wellness. It was because of her that I’m inherently interested in wellness in the first place, and in how the gifts of nature and a holistic approach (to health, beauty, wellness) can help us to feel and look our best.
My mother, through her amazing example, also showed me the beauty in offering care and concern for others. After raising four kids, she became a practicing RN and eventually a hospice care nurse, following in the footsteps of her mother and other family members in the field of health and medicine.
She was dedicated to caring for terminally ill patients with the kindness, patience and empathy that came so naturally to her. I remember watching her go off to work wondering what it was that drove her to want to be of service to those who so needed extra care.
It was perhaps, other than her children, her proudest accomplishment. She knew that creating positive experiences and participating in the wellbeing of others would enrich her life as well.
My Mom Inspired Me to Impact Others
Most of us have experienced being in a hospital or accompanying a loved one in a hospital, and we know how much of a difference a single nurse can make. A smile, a thoughtful gesture, kind and comforting words, or even careful following of the doctor’s instructions can help a patient recover more quickly, or at least be more comfortable while undergoing treatment.
After watching her devote so much of her life to the care of her patients, it was natural for me to want to make an impact for others as well. I thought initially that my interest in the beauty industry differed from hers in the medical industry. But today, with all I’ve learned, I realize the two are not that different after all.
A Happy Mother’s Day Tribute: My Mom Had Beautiful Skin
Our overall health and wellness affect the condition and appearance of our skin. That message has come home to me numerous times over my life.
First, my mom always talked about how she saw her patients struggle with uncomfortable skin issues. She helped her patients deal with discolored, dull, dry, flaky, red, burning, irritated or worse skin from treatment, medications, or the breaking down of skin.
I realized skin is like a bulletin board when it comes to our interior health. If it looks glowing and vibrant, you can bet the person is similarly vibrant in their health and wellness. But if the skin is troubled, you can imagine something might be off with the body and/or mind as well. The skin reflects it all, like a giant mirror.
My mother always had healthy beautiful skin, and her natural radiance shined through.
Even at the end of her life, several of the hospice nurses commented on how beautiful her skin was. One of the nurses asked if Mom ever wore makeup. The answer was “no.” She never did. She spent most of her time outdoors in the sun and had a very simple skincare routine that included only a very few products.
Happy Mother’s Day: A Minimalistic Skincare Routine Has Many Benefits
It makes me chuckle today thinking about it because, after all the years of piling on more and more beauty products, the trend now is toward minimalism. We are realizing the wisdom of choosing just a few natural, safe products that can multi-task in our skincare routines. It makes our daily skincare routines easier, but also simplifies our lives in so many ways.
We can spend less money on products, have fewer bottles and jars cluttering up our cabinets, and on the whole, feel lighter and easier, while still enjoying healthy and radiant skin.
My mom’s choices were simple. She taught me that beauty is not about anti-aging. It’s about healthy skin which in turn glows with radiance, and a philosophy that embodies the whole person, including body, mind a spirit. She showed me how to use a holistic approach, and how to honor your whole person with care for your natural radiance to shine through. Hers sure did!
She was the perfect example of living like people do in the blue zones. She unknowingly embodied holistic health and beauty practices, with a focus on natural ingredients, eating non-processed foods, staying active, and sharing a loving and purposeful life.
In a sad twist of fate, her ultimate demise was caused by an unfortunate fall. Otherwise, she was unbelievably healthy and active and enjoyed a full, rewarding life.
Happy Mother’s Day: Don’t Forget to Enjoy What You’re Doing!
As I think about my mom, I can’t help but remember one of the things she believed about life: If you’re happy doing what you’re doing, you will be successful. She instilled a strong sense of integrity, courage, faith, kindness, and a good work ethic in me, and always encouraged me to be true to my values.
Being happy was something my mom taught me was important in life. It’s not all about money and success and accolades from the outside world. It’s about doing things that make you feel good inside.
Following in my mom’s footsteps, my compassion for people is indeed what drives and motivates me today. When I’m doing what I am passionate about—helping people look and feel their best with products I feel good about, advocating for a cleaner world, helping others make better wellness choices, and supporting cancer research—my life feels rich and purposeful.
Today, I get that warm feeling when a customer tells me how one of our CV Skinlabs products soothed a rash or helped heal a wound. When nurses tell me how our products are the only ones that their patients can use because they’re so gentle. Or when I get to introduce someone to our clean formulas that I know will work well even on their sensitive skin.
I miss my mom terribly, and this year, Mother’s Day will be difficult. But I’m so thankful to you, our CV Skinlabs customers, for helping me to fulfill my purpose in life. I wish all of you a wonderful day filled with good memories. I know I will be cherishing every one of those I made with my mom while imagining her somewhere out there still sending her love and care my way.
Happy Mother’s Day to you!
Featured image by George Dolgikh via Pexels.