I got to grow up with a mother who taught me to believe in me.

Hear the grateful words of Antonio Villaraigosa: “I got to grow up with a mother who taught me to believe in me.” This is not simply a remembrance of childhood, but a hymn to the power of motherhood, a testimony to the strength of a parent’s guidance, and a declaration of the roots of all achievement. For to be taught to believe in oneself is among the greatest gifts any soul can receive. It is not gold, nor land, nor inheritance of riches—but a deep inner wealth that no adversity can strip away.

The ancients too knew the sacred role of mothers. In the stories of Rome, Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, when asked about her treasures, pointed not to jewels but to her sons, whom she had raised to greatness through discipline and love. In the East, Mencius, the philosopher, spoke often of his mother, whose tireless efforts and wisdom shaped him into one of China’s great moral teachers. The teaching is timeless: behind the greatness of many stands a mother who sowed seeds of courage and faith, watering them with her sacrifice and her love.

To say, “She taught me to believe in me,” is to recognize that faith is not born in isolation. The child does not yet know his strength; the world too quickly tells him his weakness. It is the mother’s voice, steady and unwavering, that reminds the child that he is capable, that he is worthy, that he can rise. That voice becomes a foundation, echoing long after the mother is gone, guiding the child through storms. Thus, belief in oneself is first belief given by another, handed down like a torch in the night.

Consider the story of Thomas Edison. As a boy, his teachers dismissed him as slow and unteachable. Yet his mother refused to accept this judgment. She withdrew him from school and educated him herself, instilling in him confidence and curiosity. Edison would go on to become one of history’s greatest inventors, and he often declared that his mother’s belief in him was the reason he persisted. Here, again, we see Villaraigosa’s truth: the shaping power of a mother’s faith becomes the cornerstone of greatness.

The meaning of the quote, then, is not simply nostalgia—it is recognition of the heroic labor of mothers, often unseen, often unsung. Their work is not only to feed and clothe, but to plant within the soul of a child the belief that he or she is capable of facing the world. That seed, once planted, grows into resilience, ambition, and hope. Without it, even the most gifted may falter. With it, even the seemingly ordinary may achieve the extraordinary.

The lesson we must take is twofold: first, to honor and cherish those who instilled belief in us, for their gift is beyond price. And second, to carry forward this power ourselves. For each of us has the chance to be a voice of faith in the life of another—whether as a parent, a friend, a teacher, or even a stranger. To tell someone, sincerely, “I believe in you,” may alter the entire course of their life.

Practically, this means living as encouragers. Speak words that uplift rather than crush. Notice the efforts of others, especially the young, and call forth their courage with your affirmation. Remember that your words, like the words of Villaraigosa’s mother, may echo in another’s heart for decades, giving them the strength to stand when the world tries to knock them down.

Thus let his words be preserved for generations: “I got to grow up with a mother who taught me to believe in me.” It is a reminder that behind every triumph there is often unseen love; behind every victory, a voice that whispered faith. May we remember this truth, and may we also become that voice for others, so that countless lives may be strengthened by the gift of belief.