Professional American surfer Bethany Hamilton imparted in her platform some motherhood and marriage tips she learned first hand from her mom, Cherilyn.
Hamilton turned to her social media to share how her mother had helped her get through some darkest moments of her life. In 2003, Hamilton lost one arm due to an attack by a shark. Despite the accident, she became a mother of three, continued surfings, won contests, produced two movies documenting her life story, and established the Beautifully Flawed Foundation.
She said wouldn't make it without the support of her loving mother in a Facebook post.
"We may not always realize it when we're younger, but our moms do know best! With the love and support of my mom, I was able to bravely face some of my darkest moments," she said.
In her blog, she thanked her mom for encouraging her to have faith, supporting her in her endeavors, and helping her with motherhood and marriage. She then took the chance to tell people about her learnings from her mom who was a surfer from Southern California who moved to Hawaii because of her passion for surfing, and eventually built their family with their dad.
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Here are some things Hamilton learned from her mom:
To Pray Often
The first thing she learned from her mother was to pray often. She shared that her mom became a Christian in 1980 and learned how to turn her worries into prayer. She was grateful for how her mother modeled to her the importance of prayer.
She noted that her mother continued to pray for her even at her adult age. She said her mother's prayed for her to have a husband perfect for her lifestyle, and this prayer was answered by the Lord through her husband Adam. She shared that her mother fervently prayed for this every day for a year.
She emphasized how prayer builds one's relationship with God, praying His will that would reflect in people's lives. The relationship that is built upon prayer establishes trust and faith in God, she said, continues no matter what happens in life. She reminded people can trust in God's sufficient strength, forgiveness, and love.
To Cultivate Relationships
In addition, her mother let her join a community of believers in which she found a support system that she cherished until this day. True enough for her mother believed that doing activities in the church would eventually form a lifelong community. Her mother emphasized to mothers the importance of having friends while their children were growing up.
Spend Time Together
Furthermore, she learned from her mom the importance of quality time together. She said that they've spent fun times together doing activities such as snorkeling and swimming. She said that their bonding held their relationship close until today. Despite life being busy, they find time to spend together.
She was happy to share with other moms the life wisdom she received from her mother. Through their Ohana Mother and Daughter Experience, she hoped to encourage and strengthen them further.
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