Today I am lucky as I get celebrate my birthday with Mother's Day. I decided to write 2 posts as both of these events are important enough to have seperate writings in this blog.
Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there that have helped shape us into the who and what we are today!
Ten Things I have learned from my Mom
1. Even the worse days of fishing are the best days
Last Winter Mom and I did a little ice fishing on a hometown lake. We caught nothing, but the sun was out, the weather was perfect, we had laughed at dragging the ice house all over the lake, the ice gave out in a section where Mom had tapped, and we didn't get the pickup stuck made this worse day of fishing one of the best.
2. Anyone can grow daisies!
My Mother has the greenest thumbs around. It truly is amazing, she can grow flowers from weeds I am sure. She is some sort of a goddess when it comes to giving life to a black dirt patch the size of a football feild. Her flower beds have 100 different varieties of flowers, plants, and trees that would be the envy of even the most professional florist. One day when we were walking around her flower beds I said "I can't grow anything" -- I have a terrible green thumb and am sure it skipped a kid.
Her response "Anyone can grow daisies Janice"! How true - anyone can grow daisies!
3. Fill your home with love
My Mom is one of the most amazing women I know and even though she can be critical and oponionated there is no time that I can remember that she didn't welcome me home with loving arms. She doesn't care when you come to visit as long as you come to visit. Anyone who walks through the door knows that they are is a love of being around others that goes beyond the hard german front.
4. Bake, even when there is no special occasion
My Mom has taught me one of my favorite passtimes and that is baking. The key to a good baker is to be like my Mom and bake even when there is no special occasion. I cannot remember a time growing up or going home that there wasn't 4 pies baked (just in case someone doesn't like apple we have others), cookies in the cookie jars or a special cake from a recipe in some magazine. Bake, even when there is no special occasion!
5. Make strangers your friends
I have seen my mother ask my father to go down to the city camping park and see if those campers want to come over for dinner as the weather is really nasty. I have seen her open the doors to our home to military guys who had no place to go for Christmas. I have seen presents appear like magic for those same military guys under the tree. Opening your home to others opens your heart!
6. It's okay to change!
I have watched as my Mother go from a slacks and nice shirt, or better yet a skirt wearing mother to a chaps and skull caps. Yep the "growing up Menonite" had changed to "growing old leather Mama". Not that is a change!
7. Don't settle with the view from the back
Maybe this is more about controling your life, but I think my Mother has taught me to not be afraid to enjoy the view from the front. When my father started riding motorcycles Mom refused to ride with. How could she in a skirt or slacks! It took a few to get her into the idea...and Jeans...but after that she was hooked. Problem was that the view from the back was getting old! So what does a grown woman do? Buy your own Harley and enjoy the view from the front as well!
8. Traveling 2000 miles to bowl 12 games is normal and a great thing to do!
This applies to more then just bowling. I think my mother would travel 2000 miles because someone told her there was a 6 family garage sale there! Seriously! She has taught me that distance should not be a part of any decision to do something. Go and have fun!
9. Some of us WILL look like our mothers so 'what's wrong with that'!
I am a spitting image of my mother in so many ways. I bake like her, cook like her, drive like her (except the speed part), laugh like her, talk like her and look like her. If you took my Mom's pictures from when she was in her late forties and my picture today, you would be amazed. As Mom would say "so what's wrong with that"! My thoughts - absolutely nothing!
10. There is always room for ice cream
If you can be addicted to ice cream I think my mother is. This is not a bad thing as I believe people should enjoy life. If ice cream is one of those pleasures we should enjoy it too! I truly cannot remember a time where there wasn't at least 2 different types of ice cream in the freeze. Seriously, white and chocolate, maple nuts, mint..the list goes on and on...always 2 different types. Why? Because my mother says "there is always room for ice cream"! Enough said!
To my Mother and all the Mom's in the world, here's to you. May you be recognized as Mothers, partners, friends and lovers! Happy Mother's Day!
Oh how blessed I know I am to have a Mother who I call friend!
What a great post and as mom would say "You got that right!" Thanks for posting and Happy Mother's Day!
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