With Mother’s Day approaching, I felt as if it wasn’t to early to pay homage to all the moms. I know for me, not a day goes by that I don’t think about mine. There are no substitutes for your mom!

                                  Treat Others How You Want To Be Treated

My mother was a big influence on how I turned out. She was kind, thoughtful and a little too protective of her kids. That could be me. What she was though, was kindhearted to others. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for anyone that needed help, especially her family. We don’t do kind things to expect it in return, but isn’t it nice when it happens. Unfortunately, there were many times members of her family treated her badly. It hurts to see someone you love go through that. So I have tried very much in my life, to treat people the way I would want to be. I don’t always get it back, but that’s not the reason to do it.

                                                Think Before Putting Mouth in Motion

My mother was quiet early on in my life. It wasn’t until later that she started to speak her mind. One thing she always reminded me of was to speak up, but with respect. No big mouth and no cussing. Unfortunately, I had some issues with this concept. It is something I still work on. We all need to be careful about what we say to someone, especially in the heat of the moment. Which is why she would tell me to stop, count to 10, then choose your words wisely. And if you have nothing to say, just keep your mouth closed. Still a work in progress, no matter how old you get.

                                             You Can’t Respect Others Until You Respect Yourself

I saved this for last, because this is what helped me get through one of the worst times in my life. After going through an abusive first marriage, it took me a while to get my self-esteem back. Staying with someone who didn’t respect me and treated me like that, was not an option. At that time, I had a  lot of support from my parents, my future husband, and co-workers. I respected myself as a human being and knew that the way he treated me was not how my life was going to be. My mother taught me that lesson from early on, and it didn’t take me long to see I had to get out. I judge and respect people on how I see them treat their peers and others in general. Unfortunately, there is a lack of respect today and it’s sad.

                                                      We All Have Only One Mom

There are no substitutes for your mother. Whether biological or adoptive, the woman who raises you and loves you is your mom. Many of us have lost ours, but for those of you out there who still have yours, understand this. All the whining and complaining about having to take care of them as they age, is a privilege, because they are still around. I wouldn’t change anything about the last years I had with my mom. She got to know my children, since they were the only grandchildren she could see. She also got to see me happy and remarried to a wonderful guy, the father of those grandchildren.

My kids have me, and I’m grateful for as long as I can be around for them. I’m also thankful for them, because without them, well I wouldn’t be a mom. Happy Mother’s Day!