Life Lessons from My Mom - Priorities

In my world, life is a constant juggle.  There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.  No matter how early I get up and how late I stay up there is always so much left to get done. My mom raised 6 children;  worked in the emergency room of University Hospitals for over 30 years, kept an immaculate and orderly home; found time to care for others; grew a beautiful flower garden every year; worked in the church and still found more time to keep herself looking good.

When I was struggling with my young sons and traveling a lot for my job I called my mom to asked how she did it all.  She said, "Baby, You gotta put your priorities in the right perspective."  She learned this long before Stephen Covey taught us to do "first things first." 

When I was I child, I marveled how my mom got it all done.  No matter how early I got up, she was up even earlier.  After 25 years of marriage, my mom and dad divorced and, although it was not easy for her, she managed to keep it together.  She paid off our home by the time I was in junior high school.  She knew has had to get the bills paid and on time so she stayed up late, putting all of her bills in a ledger and getting them mailed on time. 

No matter how busy she was, she made time to listen to me and my concerns about life.  No matter how exhausted she was, she could be found on her knees beside her bed praying to God and giving thanks. She knew the power of laughter and there was no shortage of fun in our household. 

Being on time was a priority for mom and even though she didn't drive, she kept a schedule for every bus in Cleveland and would get where she had to go.  When things would come up at the last minute, she would re-group and make the time to get important things done.  

She made seeing about others a priority and used her love for writing and cooking to comfort and encourage so many.  Even after she had a stroke and had to slow down considerably, she once again shifted her priorities to do what she could do.  She graciously dealt with her new limitations and let go of things that she was no longer able to do. Her new priority was living out her last days ensuring that her legacy was in tact.  She wanted to make sure that all of her worldly possessions found a good home.  She gave nuggets of wisdom  as long as she could. At 85 years old, she had a video filmed of herself so that we would have it to share with our off-springs for years to come.  She even left a poem for us in her safety deposit box in 1987 with a note on it that read "I hope this gives you comfort when the time comes."  She added "I hope you won't need it for a long time."  That was 25 years ago! 

Mom made the most of every day by keeping her priorities in order.  My goal is to learn from that lesson and  look at how I am spending my time and make daily adjustments to make the most of each day.  Some things we must get done and we have to recognized those things.  Other things can wait when something more pressing comes along.  The key is to pray for wisdom to know what to do when.  

How will you spend today? Take time to look at your life and see what changes need to be made.  I would love to hear from you and have you share what you are doing to make each day really count.  Remember, you have to keep your priorities in the right perspective!  

Be blessed!

DJ

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