Lessons Learned from My Mother

Recently one of my friends, who is a relatively new mother, posted a list of lessons for her young 2 year old daughter on her new blog. The idea really stuck with me and I've thought about the lessons that I have learned because of my mother's short time here on Earth. Here is a start to the list, though hardly comprehensive.

1) Be welcoming to everyone. Typically, the people who need you most are those that are not in the spotlight, but rather the ones that are wallflowers rarely getting the recognition they deserve. Another note to this would be the old addage of not judging a book by its cover.

2) Send thoughtful thank you notes and birthday cards. Though people will remember great gifts, being thoughtful can also be found in the power of words. Rather than spending time writing generic thank you notes in a rushed timeline, she always had a way of including a little something in her notes that made you feel special.

3) Sing, whether on stage, in the shower, or even the car, my mother had a way of making things more fun by singing. It always lightened the mood during any moment and her voice was angelic.

4) Learn to laugh at yourself. My mom had a great sense of humor, but always reminded me to not take myself too seriously.

5) Don't underestimate the intelligence of young children. I was always impressed by the way my mom didn't talk down to kids. She spoke to them in a way as if they were just pint-sized versions of adults and gave them the same respect, if not more.

6) Do your best at work and help others along the way. My mom was always loyal to her job and her co-workers. She never tried to climb the corporate ladder past her colleagues, if it meant that it would hurt the team.

7) End conversations making sure that the people you love know you them.

8) Never give up. There is a great quote that a friend once sent me when my mom was first diagnosed with cancer that says, "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." This quote embodies my mom's courage. She was the strongest woman I knew, her oncologist once told her she had the strength of 1,000 men.

9) It's okay to be emotional. Bottling up your feelings never helps and usually makes things worse. When you have to cry, find a good place to do so and cry. If you have to yell, go for it. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, let your feelings go but then learn to be at peace with them.

10) Know when to ask for help. "No man is an island."