20 Unforgettable Lessons
 My Mom Taught Me

Day 5 

May 29, 2014

Team Zybko

My mom. I love her and owe her big time but not exactly sure how to repay her. I suppose mothers don't need or desire paybacks, it's all inclusive, the long days, sleepless nights, checked homework, laundry, countless lessons and doctor appointments. 
All part of the job. 

With the popular Hallmark holiday already weeks behind us I can't help but give her an after the fact blog shout out....and apologize. The special gift I had picked out to celebrate Mothers Day never made it to the post office or her front porch. It's still sitting on my dresser collecting dust. No worries though, if I know her, she is totally cool with that. 

 My mom rocks. A substantial part of the person I am today I can blame on my mom, I mean, I can attribute to her. This hard working woman who laid down, built and reshaped the foundation, frame and ceiling of my childhood day after day is one tough cookie. As robust and strong as the metaphoric cement and cross beams, she taught me so much about living, sometimes without words. An excellent example set before my eyes on a silver platter. I couldn't help but take notice, grab it, lather up and allow to soak in over the years. 

One of the greatest things about my mom is her layers. You never know what talent you will discover about her. She usually knows a little about everything, if she doesn't, she does the research, finds out how to and does it. 
Surrounding her tough core made of solid perseverance is a lovely layer of prim and proper, old fashion-ness I wish world still had more of. My mom is cool. Nothing is too big or too hard for her inventive spirit to overcome. The many years of wisdom combined with living a life full of love has created a woman with the ability to remain graceful under pressure. 
Now that should be the title of this post. 

My mom, she always makes everything look easy.

1) Listen to others with your entire being. Show people you care with proper body language and constant eye contact during the entire conversation.

2) There is NO substitute for hard work. 

Do it. Don’t complain. Period.

3) Being hit by a car on the way to church is the only reason to miss Mass. Or a really good sale at Macy's. Buy shoes now, go to confession later. (Just kidding, she would never do that)

4) Always be prepared. My mom always had every item anyone would ever need.  From clipping fingernails, feeding a needy family, quickly hemming a pair of pants, all the way to open heart surgery. SHE. IS. READY. FOR. EVERYTHING.

5) Arriving early to a party is just plain tacky. Pretty sure New Yorkers invented the whole fashionable late thing.

6) Volunteer.  Your time is generally worth more to someone else than to yourself. I’ve never heard this momma of 7 excuse herself for “me time”. Not the generation nor the personality to do so.

7) Don’t freak out about a little blood. Clean it up first, access the situation, then adjust your thinking and go from there.

8) Check out the location of exits when you enter a building.  Also, be aware of the nearest ER, just in case the little blood turns out to require a few stitches or a cast.  

9) Don’t get your panties in a ruffle about the un-controllable issues in life. Long lines, cranky people, accidental spills, full parking lots, a kid up-chucking etc. You will have those days that don’t go as well as you planned on paper.

 10) Keep your brain in shape. 
Perpetual learning is healthy and time well spent. 

11) Say your prayers daily.
 Trust and thank God in all circumstances. 

12) The pretty of a person comes from within. Not the color of ones lipstick or shine of an accessory. Beautiful actions gives birth to loveliness. With that being said, one shallow exception to the rule; a good looking purse really IS just that, a good looking purse.

13) Keep the washing machine spinning. Whether you feel like it or not, doing a load or two of whites and darks daily will help keep the Mountainous Laundry Monster leashed and tamed. Plus, this way you will always have a clean pair of underwear. Just in case you’re in an accident of some sort.

14) Send handwritten thank you notes no later than 48 hours after the event or time the gift was received. Even in the age of technology, snail mail trumps the easy Face Book message all day long.

15) It’s OK to oversize your treat while under-sizing your kids treat. I hear the Dairy Hut offers miniature cups with the wooden spoons yet moms get served ice cream cones roughly the size of a smart car. Yes, that’s fair, cause I said so, that’s why.

16) Double or triple the batch when you bake. Take the extras to a neighbor, to church on Sunday or freeze and store in case you realize at 11:30PM you signed up to bring a treat for the 3^rd grade Valentine party the next day.  

17) Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to see as a headline on the front of the local paper. This was before social media. Take this lesson now and multiply it by a million.

18) Try not to jump to conclusions. Investigate, dig a little to learn the facts and hear all 3 sides of the story before you go assuming. We all know what they say about assuming, and it ain’t pretty.

19) Never return a friend's container empty. 
Fill it with something besides air.

20) Everything in moderation.
Including this post. So that is it for now. Mom, I love you to farthest Nordy's Cafe and back. Thank you for everything! 

BONUS LESSON

21) Travel with your own strong coffee. 

Life is too short for bad Java.