Good morning, happy Monday & happy Mother’s Day!
“Life doesn’t come with a manual. It comes with a mother.”
– Cleo Franklin, Jr., author
I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday.
Where would we be without our mothers?
The biological answer is, of course, that we would not exist. 😉 Life was not possible without a mother.
But, if we go a step further, and evaluate the impact our mothers have had on our lives I think the impact is immeasurable.
My mother is a role model, teacher, and friend. She is my biggest cheerleader and fiercest defender. I have caused her tears of sorrow and tears of joy. Being a mother must be one of the hardest jobs in the world.
I know raising me was no walk in the park. 😉
The wisdom my mom shared with me throughout the years is priceless. Today I thought it might be kind of fun to share some of the sayings I remember my mom saying frequently from my childhood. This is far from a comprehensive list, but these four sayings really stand out to me and have helped shape me into the man I am today.
“And how exactly is this my problem?”
I hated hearing this question from my mom. But as a child, I would often try to deflect responsibility for my actions onto someone or something else. Truth be told, she was often the one I would instinctively think would bail me out. This saying quickly forced me to accept responsibility for my choices.
“Your failure to plan does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
Yet again, another saying that forced me to be accountable for my decisions. If I waited until the last minute to be ready for school or my first job, I would expect her to drop what she was doing to get me there in the nick of time. Of course, this is an unrealistic and unacceptable proposal. This simple statement wisely not just forced me to think in advance, but also to be respectful of others’ time. She was doing so much more with this statement than just the words, she was teaching me how to treat others.
“Will you remember this day a year from now?”
As a young man, especially in the teenage years, things would happen that, at the time, seemed like the end of the world. Someone would pick on me at school or I would embarrass myself to my peers, and I would think the world was coming to an end. My mom used this question as a re-framing tool. She would follow up with a statement along the lines of, “If you won’t remember this in a year, it’s probably not worth getting that upset about it now.” In the few times where I answered, “Yes” to that question, she would then sit with me to help me evaluate the scenario and develop an appropriate response. Her wisdom was unmatched.
“I love you.”
Are there any more three powerful words in the English language? And my mother would say them to me frequently. I may upset her or disappoint her, but I knew there was never going to be a moment in my life in which she didn’t unconditionally love me. The power that has given me is unmeasurable. As poet Marion C. Garretty stated, “A mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.”
So, today I salute you mothers! You are the unsung heroes doing the unglamorous work for oftentimes ungrateful children. That’s a lot of ‘un’s! 😉
You are overworked and underappreciated. You are heroes without capes and theme songs. You simply do whatever needs to be done to take care of your family. And you do it without complaining (or at least with WAAAAY less complaining than I would do 😉).
I know that this Mother’s Day has been hard for those of you who have lost your moms. A mother’s place in our lives is not duplicatable. My heart goes out to you.
Life is so short, and I know we oftentimes don’t fully appreciate our mothers until they are gone.
For those of you who are blessed to still have your mother with you, may I respectfully suggest that you don’t make that mistake. Cherish that unreplaceable relationship with your mom.
I know yesterday was Mother’s Day … but call, email, or text her again today. Let her know you love her, you appreciate her, and you cherish her. Let her know that her love has transformed your life.
A personal note to my own mother: Thank you, mom, for believing in, encouraging me, challenging me, loving me, and relentlessly praying for me. I am the man today because of you! I love you!
I’ll get back to financial commentary next week, but today I pay homage to the moms! Moms … you rock!
Have a great week ahead.