More of DaMama’s Wisdom: Just Be
TODAY’S LAUGH: One morning last week, DaMama and I sat at my kitchen table having coffee. Well, she sat while I jumped up to brown some hamburger for that night’s dinner. Then I sat long enough to have a sip before jumping up to move the laundry from washer to dryer. I returned for another sip before jumping up to take the dog out.
On my fourth landing, DaMama said, “Hey! Jack-in-the-Box! Can’t you just BE without fussing?”
TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: I wanted to sputter excuses (and I know you know what I’m talking about.) Just BE? Well, that’s easy for YOU to say! Somebody has to make dinner. Somebody has to do laundry. Somebody has to take the dog out!
I wanted to say all that–with just the right sarcastic tone–but I didn’t, because she was right.
How often I rush, rush, rush and for no good reason. How hard it is for me to just BE, without all the fretting and fussing. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“You’re right,” I said. “More coffee?”
“Sure, since you don’t have any moonshine,” she said, deadpan.
God reminded me in that moment that I have many friends who would drop whatever they were doing to just sit and have coffee with their mothers once more. You are blessed, He whispered.
We can all benefit from DaMama’s wisdom this week: Slow down. Take your time. Stop rushing through your life. Stop your fussing and fretting.
And in honor of Mother’s Day, sit down with your mama–or your memories of her–and for that little whi
le, just be.
Just be.
Happy Mother’s Day! You are blessed!
P.S. I’d love to hear/share your stories about your mother. Log in and use the comment form or use the “CONTACT MARY” link with “MOTHER” in the subject line.
P.P.S.: Last week’s “Balance” free book drawing winner: Barb Daye. CONGRATULATIONS!
From Merry: “You’re right that many of us would give anything to spend a few minutes with our moms again. Just this morning I saw this sign and laughed right out loud: Mirror mirror on the wall, I am my mother after all! Thought it would make you smile. Enjoy your mom today!”
MP)
(Thanks for that smile!
Comment by Mary Pierce — May 5, 2009 @ 6:37 am
Bob says: “My MOM would be 108 this year. A farm girl, she was tops at cooking, sewing, keeping house, mothering, and of course, etc. I was with her only 19 years and then the Air Corp and then my own household.
MP)
I have kept Mom’s sewing box. 20×9x5, she had covered it in a floral pink. Contained the normal things but there was a second box with about 150 thread spools with various amount of thread left. I am still using it. Has to be well over 70 years old.”
(How precious those things she held in her hands…
Comment by Mary Pierce — May 5, 2009 @ 7:23 am
Such wisdom. After a difficult day yesterday, I did just that. The house was messy a bit around me, the dishes needed to be unloaded, and laundry folded…but I was weary. So I grabbed a book and sat in the living room and soaked in relaxing and chatting with my boys. It was a sweet, refreshing time. The other stuff can wait… (You got it, girl!
MP)
Comment by Laurel — May 5, 2009 @ 10:57 am
From Sharon: “My mom died at 50 in 1994, but we lost her long before due to Huntington’s Disease. She showed signs at 36. I have some memories from before, as I was 14 then. My sisters and kids hear them often.
MP)
Like the year mom got the gardening bug. Dad was a cop and did security for a port in Chicago. Still, mom got him to make a 4X10 garden. We girls (I was 9; Michelle, 8; April & Cindy, 6), watched that garden like hawks. Mom didn’t tell us much about it. When we saw green, we weeded it. We pulled everything without a vegetable on it.
Mom was determined to have fresh veggies in the freezer. She found all the Pick Your Own gardens and off we went. We picked corn and green beans before she gave up on it. I think us four little girls had a lot to do with it. After all the washing, snapping and packaging the last thing we wanted to do was EAT them! My youngest says he misses his grandma and looks forward to God letting him meet her someday. Hopefully that means I’m making them both real to him.”
(God bless you and your family!
Comment by Mary Pierce — May 12, 2009 @ 12:48 pm