Woman shares the simple gift she gave her mom that completely changed her life
May all moms receive this gift.
Just try.
It’s no secret that moms give up a lot for their children—including parts of their identity.
A recent survey by Baby Center found that 22% of moms feel like they’re “just moms.” And those feelings don’t necessarily change once kids have grown—they only deepen the longer they have been a mother and if they had more children, the study added.
And as most moms would agree, the sacrifice is one they would willingly make again…but that doesn't make it any less painful, necessarily.
That’s what makes one daughter’s simple gift to her mother—reminding her to reclaim the person she was before motherhood—so life-changing.
As Rachel Sevcik explained in a TikTok video, her mom, who had the “privilege” of being a full-time stay-at-home mom while Sevcik was growing up, was approaching her 52nd birthday.
This coupled with the milestone of Sevcik heading out to college, leaving her mom an empty-nester. Sevcik was “scrambling” to think of a gift to properly honor the occasion.
“So, I went to a little boutique. I got a sign that said “Try,” and I wrote a letter saying, ‘Mom, try. Whatever you've always wanted to and didn't because you were putting us first.”
For Sevcik’s mom, it was writing.
Sevcik gave the letter and poster to her mom eight years ago, and in that time, her mom has joined writers groups, published a short story, co-authored a book, and just finished her first book. She’s already working on book #2.
Sevcik concludes by saying, “She is turning 60 in about a month. And now when people ask me what my mom does, I say, ‘She's a writer.’”
@theraeraeshoww My hero 🫶🥹 #momtok ♬ original sound - Rachel Sevcik
Sevcik’s sweet gesture struck a chord with online viewers.
One person wrote, “if my child wrote me a letter/sign saying "try. do whatever you wanted to after putting us first", I'd break down in tears🥺🥺”
Another added, “I’m incredibly impressed at you understanding the gravitas of all her sacrifices at just 18. The sign and note was an amazing gesture.”
Others chimed in with similar wins.
One former stay-at-home-mom wrote, “At 48 I’m an empty nester sahm going back to school to be a therapist. It’s never too late.”
Another daughter shared, “This gives me all the feels, my mom is similar. Was an amazing stay at home mom of five kids for 20 years and then went back to work and is a BOSS!” they wrote.
The discussion gave moms—those currently raising kids and new empty nesters—some encouragement.
“Immediate tears - from a SAHM of 3 still in the trenches, thanks for sharing,” one commented.
Another said “I’m a SAHM and wonder what I’ll do when my son is off to college. Anything I want I guess, but it is daunting. Thank you for encouraging her! ❤️”
Imagine if all moms got this kind of recognition and cheerleading. Maybe then pursuing their own aspirations besides motherhood would feel less like a dream, and more like a reality. Until then, hopefully this story can help.
By the way, if you're curious to know what the title of Sevcik's mom's book is, she plan to do a reveal on TikTok.
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
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Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."