For those whose mothers are no longer living on this earth, do you ever wonder what she would think about our world today? I often think about how my mom would react to my decisions and current situation. What advice would our mothers give us if they were sitting next to us right now?

It’s been almost 24 years since my sweet Mom passed away from lung cancer and Mother’s Day is always one of the saddest days of the year for me.

The best thing I can do is honor my Mom’s memory by doing and saying things that I know she would appreciate and be proud of. Striving to emulate her values with my actions.

Virginia Mary was born during the Great Depression and had a strong, spunky spirit and an infectious smile. She was extremely generous with her time and limited money and always rooted for and lent a helping hand to the underdog. Virginia was kind, jovial and optimistic. Her friends called her Ginny and I called her Mom.

One of my Mom’s favorite sayings was “Live, Love, Laugh” and that was how she lived her life. I never heard her complain or speak poorly of others, She was stoic when she was sick and cared more about taking care of the needs of others than she did for herself.

My Mom was hearing impaired since childhood and wore hearing aids which I don’t think helped her much. She was good at reading lips, body language, and expressions. She loved to read mystery books and write letters to her family. I am so happy to have a stack of letters she wrote to me during the early 1990s when I was in the Army and deployed in Saudi Arabia. This was the best way to communicate with her and they mean the world to me now.

Mom was not one to give unsolicited advice but if you asked she would give her simple and wise opinion. She didn’t use big words but she had large and important ideas, lessons, and experiences to share.

I’d like to imagine that if my Mom were sitting next to me right now, she would encourage me to lighten up and enjoy the small, good things that life has to offer. She would remind me to relax and slow down and look before I leaped. She would smile and tell me to be kind to others and volunteer to help the needy and underprivileged. Virginia Mary was an amazing and strong woman who inspired me to serve my country, my family, and my community. She is one of the main reasons why I became so active and engaged with the American Legion (all 4 of her brothers served in the U.S. military in WWII). The way she lived and loved and laughed in the face of adversity were key examples for me and helped shape who I am today.

My yoga instructor shared this quote below after class yesterday and it made be think of my Mom.

“If you want light to come into your life then you need to stand where it’s shining.” – Guy Finley

Happy Mother’s Day in heaven Mom!

Your values live on in the actions of your children, your friends and everyone who had the honor of knowing you.

Thanks for the great advice today.