Things I Learned from My Mom

(NOTE:  this blog was first posted at Parkinson's Journey (my friend Sherri Woodbridge let me post blogs on PJ when I was first writing about some things I thought might be of interest to others..or just some things i wanted to get off my chest.   I agree!--she is a good friend!!!)

My mother  passed away from cancer in 2010 and her life was a great testimony to me. She was the wisest teacher I ever had. She had 72 years of wisdom to pass on to any who would learn, and some pretty good marriage and life lessons from being married to my dad almost 51 years.

Since I am so very proud of my mom, I would like to share some things that I’ve learned from her:

1. You never ‘back-talk’ or as my Jerzee friends says ‘get fresh’ with your momma. I did it once and remember her reaction well….a hand quickly and firmly smacked my mouth and face and I then looked at her in disbelief! She had never hit me in my mouth…sure, plenty of times on my rear-end, but she must have known how well the shock appeal of this disciplinary action would work. It did the trick on me. Not sure what mom did to my sister for the same problem…whatever it was it took longer to have an effect though.

2. You make a commitment; you keep it. I learned this when I wanted to quit the church softball team I was on because we were awful and win-less. Mom said “Oh no, you are not going to quit!!! You play, you have fun…win or lose. Do you need any further motivation?” I replied “no m’am!” So I stayed on the team and ended up having a good time even though we were really pitiful.

3. You do your best, no matter what, even if you come in last or get a low grade. You can’t control how hard other people try but you can certainly make sure that you give your very best at any endeavor you strive to do.

4. One of a woman’s greatest thrills in life is shoe shopping. A good deal on a pair ofl shoes gives an adrenaline boost like no other….and if you don’t get a good deal then they better be the most ‘make em stop dead in their tracks’ beautiful shoes that are worth every penny of the $$$ you paid for them! Never pass by a shoe store that has a buy-one get-one-free sale! I guess you have to be a female to understand all this. But it is a very important concept of female life to know about.

5. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Even if everyone else does, you should know how it feels and resist the temptation to do this. Enough said. This is a hard lesson to learn and put in practice but it will pay dividends you never imagined when you do!

6. Be strong and courageous even when you don’t feel like it. And the way you do this is to draw strength from the LORD. He said he would never leave or forsake us and has sent his spirit as a helper. So use it. It takes courage to face many things in life.

7. Do unto others as Jesus would do to them–and it doesn’t matter if you never get anything in return for doing so. And it is so fun to do random acts of kindness. But no matter how you interact with others, put a smile on your face and let them know you have a reason to be happy.!!

8. If at all possible, keep your foot away from your mouth–it is entirely possible for it to end up in your mouth and you will most certainly regret it. Stop and think before you speak is a good rule to use.

9. Faith in God is the greatest resource you can have in this life, the hardest thing to explain to others, and the simplest act that provides eternal benefits. Without faith, we have no strength, without strength we have no endurance, without endurance the prize cannot be obtained.

10. Honesty, open-mindedness. loyalty, and laughter are the cornerstones of any good relationship. They don’t just happen, it takes work to cultivate them and help a friendship grow. And we should be friends with our family because that is what God intended.

11. Realize your blessings and give thanks for them and for goodness ;sakes, share them with others!!!.  There is always, and i mean always SOMETHING to be thankful for ....if you look hard enough.

These are just a few lessons that come to mind that I feel like I have been taught by my wonderful mother in the 47 years we had together. I think that by knowing these truths about life, my mother helped prepare me to face life head on and with a confidence that can only be instilled by love. I thank God for her influence, wisdom, and most of all her love that make me feel I was the luckiest girl in the world to have Becky Good as my mom!!!

If your mom is still alive, give her a hug. If she doesn’t live close by, call her up and give her a hug over the phone. And for heavens’ sake…don’t text it to her…let her hear it!

if your mom has passed on, tell someone how much she meant to you, and thank the Lord for the blessing of the time you had with her!!

One of my mom’s pastor’s quoted this verse of Keats as a remembrance of my mom: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”. And I for one say a big AMEN about my mom in that regard!!!

In memory of my mother, Becky Good, 1938-2010
Judy Hensley
republished 4/26/2017 on my mom's earthly birthday

Addendum as of 4/26/2017:

Just a couple more things I would add as I think about my mom on her birthday today..she would say "Never bypass a chance to go to the beach."  One year my mom went to Myrtle Beach 4 times--once being there as late as November , but she was so excited to have gotten the chance to go that many times!  She didn't like to go swimming out in the ocean because she could not see what was in the water, but she enjoyed just sitting under the umbrella or going for a walk and picking up shells.  She once old me that the sand at the beach reminded her of how unique God made all of us and knows our every thought and deed and that was what made made Him worthy of all our praise.

And the other thing is to always tell those you love that they are special in your heart and in God's too! Surely I don't need to explain this..just do it!

And one of her absolute 'have to have' for any birthday party she threw or had was some homemade ice cream.  So today if i can't find any homemade ice-cream, i will have some frozen yogurt (the next best thing) and thank God for my mom!