Mother's Day Reflecting

Mom died ten years ago this summer but two personality traits I learned from her seem to be with me every day. 1) I'm a story teller and, like her, I repeat stories a lot. 2) Being over 50 is no excuse to stop learning. She took art lessons in her 50s and 70s; I started guitar lessons last year.

Now that I'm writing this, I remember more similarities. She loved to travel and loved to track hurricanes. Her death was partly related to a post-hurricane evacuation to another part of her state. Today I am watching the weather channel reports of this year's first named tropical storm. You can tell where I learned some of that.  My curiosity about people and my sense of humor are also similar to those characteristics of Mom’s personality.

My mother didn’t always approve of the things I did, especially of the multiple marriages and divorces, but she always loved me and accepted me.  I think she would like a lot about my life right now and I wish she was still here to have a conversation with.

I certainly adopted many of my Dad’s personality traits too, but I am a lot more like Mom on a day to day basis.

To any mothers reading this today, Happy Mother’s Day.  And if your Mom is alive, call her today.  Better yet, visit her.  You both have something to gain from that.