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Lawyers: Thank Your Mothers for Everything

By William Peacock, Esq. on May 08, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

If you aren’t planning a surprise visit, or at least a phone call, for this upcoming Mother’s Day, slap yourself. You are an ungrateful jerk.

You see, you are who you are, good or bad, because of your mother. Are you a cynical, cold, emotion-less robot? You’re probably an excellent attorney. Your mother also probably didn’t love you enough as a child. Thank her for the lack of affection because it means you are going to excel in a world of sharks.

Here are a few other reasons to thank your mothers:

Good Looks

My family is odd. We've all got the exact same face. I'd show you a picture, but you'd probably have nightmares. My mother, grandmother, and all five of us children have the exact same facial features and nearly-identical baby photos. Heck, even the nieces and nephews look like their grandmother.

For everyone who doesn't have creepily-strong genes, your results may vary. Perhaps you got your mother's figure, her family's non-receding hairline, or her nose. Whatever it is, use that when you write your Mother's Day card this year.

"Ma. Thanks for the receding hairline. At least I ain't as bald as Pops is."

Sharp Wit

Maybe you are the empathic type. Your mother cared about anyone and everyone, and commonly dropped the phrase, "That's so sad." Her big heart and immense empathy carried over to you, and you now work as a juvenile advocacy attorney. She's the reason why you are saving children from a life in the criminal justice system.

My momma is sarcastic, witty, and can drop one-liners faster than a shot of Jameson in front of an Irishman. (I'm Irish. It's okay to say that.) Care to guess where all the snark, sarcasm, and ability to find humor in even the most inappropriate situations came from?

Work Ethic

All prior sarcasm aside, being a mother isn't easy - especially today, when most mothers work full-time in addition to handling soiled diapers and grocery shopping. It's hard not to grow up with a decent work ethic with such a good role model.

My momma was a divorced parent with five kids. She worked two jobs, twelve-hours shifts as an Emergency Room nurse, and made sure that we were fed, clothed, and had a functional TV to catch Law & Order reruns. Even in the darkest days of law school, when I was teaching LSAT classes while studying for 1L finals, I didn't work half as hard as she did.

Everything Else

The catch-all category. Your list may vary, but here is mine: playing Super Mario Brothers with us (even if you did hog the controller), teaching us how to cook spaghetti and meatballs, instilling a deep appreciation for romantic comedies, moving us to the Middle East and to California, and for raising four amazing siblings.

Happy early Mother's Day to my mother, my sisters, and to all the moms out there.

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