Three things my Mom taught me

My Mom is a pretty wise woman. She taught us lots of things, but a 3 stand out in my memory today.

 Don’t “dawdle” is one of my favorites. This childhood lesson was meant to impart upon little brother Craig and I the concept of not wasting time when we had a task to do.  If you know what your task is, and what direction you need to go, get moving in that direction. Don’t waste a bunch of time trying to figure out how to get out of doing the task, or how to make it easier.  You can think about that after the task is done and use it next time. Adults can use this lesson  to assess the available information, make a decision, and move forward without wasting time in over analysis. It is such a simple concept, that when I am standing in line at someplace like McDonalds, I wish everybody else’s Mom taught them this lesson.  How hard is it to choose a Big Mac while you are waiting in line so you know what you want when you get to the counter?  When these “dawdlers” get to the counter and start asking questions about what comes on a Big Mac or some other thing that slows down the rest of us, I want to tap them on the shoulder and ask them if their Mom ever taught them not to dawdle. 

The second important lesson that is on my mind, especially this time of year, is the value of thought and love in a gift.  Mom taught us that the most treasured gifts are not necessarily expensive.  She treasures gifts more if they required a thought process…(I know Mom likes X, so I bet she would LOVE this, etc).  I learned this lesson, and did my best to teach my kids the same.  Based on the gifts I get, they listened, and they are teaching the grandkids.  I have several offbeat gifts, and I will treasure them forever.  Whether it be Anniversaries, Birthdays, or Christmas, no matter how much you have to spend,the gift most treasured is the one chosen with thought, and love. Sometimes the best gift is the hug from a Mom, or a Kid, and that doesn’t cost a dime.

 And last, Mom always told me to appreciate what I have.  I do. Enough said.