By Lisa D. Lenoir
A colleague and I discussed the steely resilience our mothers possess in times of family crisis — whether it’s sickness, financial issues or just the plain ordeals of life. Basically, we agreed: We are hitching our wagons to theirs.
While most — if they don’t have a Mommie Dearest — think their mother is special, I am no exception. Don’t be mistaken, we do clash and have our moments. She’s pragmatic at times and focused. I look at my mother with amazement as she tries to keep this small nuclear family afloat with her wisdom, steadfast faith and sense of humor.
As I reflect on her this weekend, here are the lessons Mommy (yes, I call her that affectionately most times) has taught me.
1. Be independent. She pushed me to learn to drive so I’d never had to rely on anyone else to get from A to B. We had fun learning to drive, except the time I made a quick left turn in front of a car at a stoplight during my early days. Her voice hit high C. Even today she still schools me on the road, telling me how merge into traffic safely. I’ve been driving for more than 20 years!
2. Have your own money. She’s been married from close to 47 years and believes a woman should have “walking around money” of her own.
3. See the world and travel. She said the Lord told her to get her passport and she did. And she helped me to get mine at age 28. This revelation from above lead us to take our first trip abroad to France. Embedded in the experience was a lesson on having a dream, saving the money for it and seeing it come to fruition.
4. Have hobbies. She plays the piano, loves antiquing, a voracious reader (she still keeps newspapers in business and loves to clip articles) and gardens. All help her to stay centered.
5. Pray. Every time things get rough, she says, pray. Sometimes I think she tells me this to remind herself of this important action. Sounds easy but it’s not in a world where we are distracted by noise. How can we have conversations with above? She says, “Prayer changes things.”
