1. Get down on the ground and play. My Mom plays. When her grandkids visit, she’s down on her hands and knees with the lego men or fairies, acting out adventures and creating memories that last a lifetime.
2. Live according to your beliefs regardless of the paths that others choose. When my Mom decided to breastfeed her children, use cloth diapers and homeschool it wasn’t the cool thing to do. She knew what felt right for her and her family and stuck with her instincts. As a result, her work
3. Read, write, learn, teach. Everyone has a story to tell and a gift to share. My Mom is a voracious reader and a prolific writer. She is curious about the world. She takes the time to learn and to listen. Then she shares the gifts, the lessons, the tidbits with others. I will always strive to be as generous with my gifts as my Mom.
4. Ask for hugs and offer hugs. People need to be touched. Without physical contact babies will die. My Mom has made hugs a regular part of every family event. Because of her example, I enthusiastically hug my brothers, my friends, and the dogs. A good, firm embrace makes me feel connected and loved.
5. You don’t always get what you want. Life can throw you some curveballs – like suddenly trying to raise your four kids on $32,000 a year. My Mom has struggled. There have been hard times and tough choices. But, along the way she showed me what was worth sacrificing (television) and what wasn’t (family vacations at a friend’s cottage).
6. Do what you can but take just what you need. My Mom will offer you the world. She will head out in the middle of the night to help deliver a baby or assist a Mom with a breastfeeding problem. She’ll drop off groceries when you have the flu and take you for lunch when you’re feeling blue. But she does it all freely, without any expectation of reciprocity.
7. Don’t be afraid to change. She has become vegan and started running all after age 50. I know I can create the life I want because I have watched her reinvent hers.
8. Be there. When I call my Mom to celebrate an accomplishment, bemoan a tribulation, or just talk about the newest vegan cheese…she’s there. She listens. Always.
9. Be silly. My Mom loves anything Disney. She loves the music, the movies and the theme parks. If you don’t think her mickey purse is hip, she doesn’t care. The way she embraces her joy has always encouraged me to do what I love regardless of the value it has for others.
10. Say thank you. There is nothing more important in relationships than to express appreciation and love.
I think raw Crepes filled with Raspberry White Chocolate Cream are a good way to say thank you.
So, thank you Mom. Thank you for letting me crawl into bed with you when my heart was broken, my throat was sore or my dreams were scary. Thank you for cheering at every recital, play and award ceremony. Thank you for always believing I was the most perfect daughter you could ever have. That faith has made me a confident woman, prepared to embrace challenges and the people I love.