Life Lessons From My Mom

Hello!  I am back after a long hiatus from writing.  I had to take a "time out" and deal with pressing issues of life.  There are some things in life that you cannot put off until later and you cannot do over.  Five years ago, my mom, Geneva Hubbard, suffered a stroke at 87 years old.  She was a vibrant active and very determined woman who, willed herself to take therapy twice a day (the doctor recommended it once a day) and was able to leave the rehabilitation facility and move in with my sister.  A year later, she suffered a more debilitating stroke and was not able to recover from that one.  She needed round the clock skilled nursing care and was eventually admitted to a nursing home.

Over the past four years my mom dealt with a slow but steady decline in her health.  She ended her battle with diabetes on July 7, 2012 at the age of 91.  I got to spend the last three days of her life at her bedside and got to reflect on just how wonderful my mom was. In 1968, when my grandmother passed, my mom told me "When you lose your mom, you lose your best friend."  I now know just how true that is.  

Since mom's death, I have received so many notes and messages of encouragement.  So many of the notes contained stories of the wisdom my mom had passed on to my friends and family.  My mom was known for her wit and wisdom and had a saying for EVERYTHING! I spent my life listening to my Mom's stories and, by the time I had my boys, I was repeating so many of Mom's sayings.  It wasn't until recently that I realized how much wisdom was in all of those sayings.  Beginning today and each Monday thereafter, I will be sharing my Mom's sayings with you and some of the wisdom I have learned from them. My friends started calling Mom's sayings "Geneva-isms" 

My favorite "Geneva-ism" is "You got to go to bed with waking up on your mind!"  My mom has told us that repeatedly.  I once asked her how she could wake up without an alarm clock and she said "Baby, I don't need a alarm clock, I go to bed with waking up on my mind!"  She could go to bed late and still get early.  She was known for being places on time or early--never late!  She said you will miss out all that life has has for you if you don't look forward to all that it offers.  That has resonated with me over the years and when I have really important things to do I focus on what time I need to get up the next day and I am always up before that time.  

My mom lived life to the fullest and even on her worse day, she found reasons to smile and say something positive.  She had a genuine love for the Lord that was demonstrated in the way she loved her children and those around her.  By the end of her life she was unable to walk, eat, use her hands or do anything much on her own.  Even in that state, she would look over at me and say, "It's still nice to see you."  She didn't complain and was mostly concerned about us (her children).  

Isn't that just like a mom!  She has taught me so much about caring for myself and my children.  August is just around the corner and for so many moms it means the start of another school year, sports season, getting the last vacation in, visiting with grandchildren and juggling so much! Don't forget to the joy on the journey and every day, find something to look forward to.  When the day is over, go to bed with waking up on your mind!  Enjoy your week!

DJ