My mother passed away early Wednesday morning. Like most mothers - she meant so much to me. I've been racking my brain to think of what lessons she taught me - there were a few.
1) Knowledge is power: As early as I can recall my mother used to get me and my little brother ridiculously excited to go to the library. So much so to the point that when she would say "Do you guys want to go to the library?" we'd yell back "the library yay!" . By no small coincidence we're both bibliophiles today.You'd be hard pressed to find either of us at home or on a rip without a good book nearby or downloaded to a smartphone reader.
2) If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all - I try to stick to this rule but I slip occasionally. I've been told before though that instead of actually saying things I have a tendency to give "looks" that say more than enough.
3) Be a gentleman - From an early age I was taught to be respectful, open doors, say "yes ma'am" and "yes sir". In today's society I regularly question if this is worthwhile knowledge.
4) Be of service to others - For years my mother volunteered in the soup kitchen based out of her church's basement. She would occasionally pull me in as well to help. In my late 20's and early 30's every other Saturday morning I could be found there helping feed the homeless of Columbus Ohio. Sometimes I was greeted with smiles of gratitude other times I as met with complaints on the quality of the food. Every-time I felt accomplished once we completed a line full of 50-110 people.
5) Have faith - I struggle with this one. Logically I know my mother was in a lot of pain due to the ailments she was facing. From a more spiritual perspective I selfishly wanted to achieve more before my mother passed. I made some promises to her that were broken upon her passing.
With any luck she's watching over me and will continue to give guidance.
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