My mom has taught me many lessons throughout life. Obviously when I was a young child she taught me the basics of life. However, as I got older many of the lessons that I learned from her were not “taught” per se but more of observations on my part…observations on how I should live my life in order to be a good person.
For those of you that have been following updates on my mom and other things that she’s taught me about life at MyMomIsMyBestFriend.com I’m sure you’ll notice this post looks quite familiar. There’s a reason for that…it’s the same thing. As I wrote this I realized these were lessons that anyone can take with them no matter where they got them. I just happened to be fortunate enough to learn them from an extraordinary woman and will continue to follow her teachings years after she passes.
Now…what are the best lessons that my mother has taught me? The few that I can think of right now as I sit in hospice with my mother are as follows.
- Enjoy what you have. It doesn’t make any sense pining for something you don’t have. If you’ve got a bowl of soup, enjoy it for the nourishment it is and stop complaining that you don’t have a steak.
- Be happy. Sounds simple. It IS simple. It’s even easier when you smile a lot. Being an angry person is just a waste of energy and not a pleasant thing for anyone around you.
- Don’t worry about things. This one can be tricky, but it makes sense. I mean, I could sit here and worry about this and that but it’s just a drain on the energy and it really doesn’t get you anywhere.
- Enjoy and don’t worry. A hybrid of #1 and #3. Since hearing about the cancer that took hold of my mother back in July I could have done one of two things. First, I could have worried, cried, lamented, and been miserable about the news. Or, in a better way to live life I can enjoy the time that I have with my mom. I can always cry later but right now it’s all about spending time with my mom. I’m pretty sure I’d be mad at myself if I had wasted the past two months crying and feeling sorry for myself rather than enjoying time with my mom.
- Follow your passions. If it makes you happy, go for it. If you truly want to do it, you can find a way.
- Love and be loved. My mom has shown me what the power of love can do. You feel it. See it. It carries you through the tough times. It makes the good times even better.
There is more…much more. For now though, I will take these lessons with me throughout my whole life. Yes, I would have loved to have my mom remind me of these things as I talk to her years from now but that simply cannot happen. However, these are things that I will never forget. My mom is my north star…and even as the light from her star shall dim from her passing, she will always guide me through life. Thank you Mom…I love you.
