Happy Mother's Day

Because life sometimes gets in the way, I am posting the lessons when I can and today you get 5 of them in honor of Mother's Day. The top five things I learned from my mother are:

1) You can be anything you choose.
She was always careful to point out that while I had the potential to accomplish anything, I also had the responsibility to choose from the vast possibilities.

2) Listening to the rain is therapeutic.
Mom loves watching rainstorms. When I was little, we often sat on the porch and watched the rain pour down. It smelled amazing and always seemed to watch the world clean.

3) Be Gracious. This is a lesson that Mom drilled into my head. She often rolls her eyes thinking that somehow she has failed in her attempt to teach me to be gracious. However, as a mother with my own children, I have had reason to teach them this lesson. I continue to try to rise to her standard of graciousness.

4) New clothes make it easier to face difficult situations.
To clarify (lest you think my dear mother is a shopaholic) let me just say that it doesn't matter what the new clothes cost as long as they make you feel pretty, clever, or dazzling. For instance when I went to a 2 week junior boot camp and knew I would be wearing fatigues (ugly green uniforms) all day everyday, Mom took me out and we bought the girliest laciest underwear we could find. When I had job interviews she would send me new shoes or a blouse to help me feel confident and loved. New clothes, especially moderately priced items with no guilt factor, bring a secret measure of confidence, even if no one else can see them, like the underwear.

5) Leave home and broaden your horizons.
Traveling is one of Mom's favorite things. She loves to see new places and experience new things. Whether it is moving to a new city or vacationing in Greece. She loves to leave home for a while. Because of our travels and her encouragement to see the world, I have been to many wonderful places, with her and on my own.

Happy Mother's Day. Thanks Mom!