Most folks know that Mother's Day was last month. It was my second Mother's Day without Mum on this mortal plane. Now, Father's Day approaches – it will be my first without Daddy… So, perhaps, I will be be able to write a post on Wisdom from Daddy next month, once some of the “ouch”/stinging/smarting has lessened. But for today, I share a bit more of what my Mum was like via sharing her own words.
Mum had so many sayings that were chock full of her wisdom… For her eulogy, I made an alphabetic arrangement of all her sayings that I had noted in journals – but most of them, we knew by heart, because we heard them so often. I noted to the people attending her funeral that there were some “gaps” – letters in the alphabet that didn't have a quote from Mum of which I could recall. I will tell you that my Mum came to me in a dream the night before her funeral and I was talking with her in the dream about the empty spots, asking her for ideas to “complete” the entire alphabet. She laid her hand on my cheek and softly smiled in that dream. “Well I hadn't figured out EVERYTHING… And you need to learn to walk in the Mystery that Life is, too“… That's what she said to me.
So here's Mum's brilliance in word-form, “gaps” included.
A) Act. Don't live your life REACTING. (Also: The word “Anger” is only one letter short of “Danger”.)
B) Be curious. Follow the example of the Great Teacher, remembering that sometimes the best answer to a question is… a question, in return. (Seconded by: “Beautiful young people are works of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”)
C) Cry for 10 minutes about a situation. Go ahead! Take all the time you need during those 10 minutes to cry your heart out. Then pick yourself up, shake yourself off, and get going again.
D) Dare to Discern your motivation for the choices you make in life. Determine which of the Three D's is your motivation: Duty, Desire, or Desperation. Knowing that can help you make the wisest, most sure choice in any given situation.
E) Empathy, Sympathy, or Pity… Know the difference between them and where best to apply it. (Mum always whispered loudly, like she was sharing some sort of universally known secret, when she would say, “I'll give you a hint: Pity should not make your list. If it does, you better go back and review the “Three D's”.
F) Friends may come and go, but your family… Be it your family of birth or family of soul… Keep them close. They are forever, and that bond is precious, for God, Himself, forged it.
G) Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss gossip.
H) [Normally spoken after you'd had a 10 minute cry with her]… “Head up. Shoulders back! Boobs out! Now MARCH FORWARD! Get going!! You can do this!!
Mum's “Three I's”: Nothing Illegal, Immoral, nor Irrational. If you think you need or want to do one of those three, go back and review the “Three D's”.
You may be noticing that my mum had many thoughts that followed in sets of three. She was, above all, a wise Celtic Crone…
K) Know your Self and make good friends with You. When you have made good friends with your Self, your situation will be more friendly, too.
L) Listen actively and with curiosity. (This was closely followed by “Learn from the mistakes of others… You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.”)
M) Meaning of Life: If you want to find the meaning, stop chasing so many things and Connect with your Self. Now go back and take a look at letter “K”.
N) NO. If you never say “no”, your “yes's” will mean nothing.
O) Opportunity… The opportunity of a lifetime is only available during the lifetime of the the opportunity. Go for it!!
P) “Prizing” People… When someone Prizes us just the way we are, he or she confirms the greatness of our existence.
Q) Quitters never win, and winners never quit.
R) Respect. Reflect. Respond. Always remember there is a difference between being “Liked” and being “Respected”. If you Reflect upon who or what you should Respect, you will gain certainty as to how to Respond.
S) Silence. Know when that is the best answer. Know when to hold it, know when to throw it down and ask questions, instead, to gain a deeper understanding of what someone is trying to express.
W) Wisdom and Willpower: One of Mum's “insta-prayers”, as I called them… “God, grant me the Wisdom to know what is right, the strength to choose it, and the Willpower to make it endure.”
(Photo below: Mum is in the middle)
So which particular words of wisdom speaks to you? I hope every person who reads this can glean some wisdom to take with you on your own Life Journey.
Namasté.
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