Mother’s Day Musings

Mother’s Day Musings

Happy Monday after Mother’s Day!  I really, really, wanted to manage my time well and create a beautiful reflection on my mother and have it posted BEFORE MOTHER’S DAY!  I envisioned people sitting down yesterday morning, drinking a cup of Archer and Company Roasters’ single-origin Colombia coffee, reading the blog about my mom while lovingly thinking about their mother!  

But that didn’t happen…so this morning, as I drink a glass of Jordan’s Birdie Cold Brew I decided my mom was still the best, and worthy of a blog post.  However, just like switching from a hot cup of Archer’s Colombia dark roast yesterday to a fruity and chocolatey cold brew today, I have changed the theme of my blog!  The blog I dreamed of would have been filled with sweet memories of an incredible mother. Today’s reality is that I am “a day late and a dollar short,” so  I hope to pay tribute to my mother and all mothers by recalling their pithy pearls of wisdom.
For me, this photo is where my “pearls of wisdom”  journey began: February 4th, 1950!  Dad and Mom marry!!

I’m the 10th out of 12 children, so why would my journey begin in 1950 when I was a 60’s girl?!?  I firmly believe that Mom (and Dad) honed their pearls of wisdom with the first nine children, and when my twin and I arrived (children #10 and #11) their parenting skills, advice, and pearls of wisdom were at the peak of perfection!  These priceless, succinct, nuggets to live by, kept all of us children “in line”-- growing in responsibility, virtue, and grace.   These pearls of wisdom are so true and time-tested, that decades later, these sound bytes spew forth from my mouth to my children and grandchildren!  
For me, the photo below cements the transmission of wisdom nuggets from my mom to me and onto my children. This is my mom with our oldest son at about 3 weeks old.  My mother passed away just four months after this photo was taken. This photo is a priceless memory for me, a connection from my mother to all of our children, most of whom she would never meet.  Reflecting on this photo, I realize that at this point in my mothering years,  I was already well-prepared to parent, having a plethora of parenting sound bytes ingrained in my long-term memory.  Thanks, Mom!

So as a tribute to my wonderful mother, I fondly share my  TOP 10 MOTHERLY PEARLS OF WISDOM with you  to enjoy, ponder, and pass-on.  Maybe one or two will spark a loving memory of your mom!  Enjoy the blogpost and  drink some Archer and Company coffee, cold brew, iced, or hot, while you read! Thank you, Father-God, for the gift of my mom and all moms!

                             WENDY’S TOP 10 MOTHERLY PEARLS OF WISDOM!

I LOVE YOU, MOM!

  1. “Cleanliness is next to Godly-ness!”  (-- Heard when we were supposed to clean our rooms)

  2. “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail!”  (Yikes, I missed the Mother’s Day blogpost deadline!)

  3. “You can tell a Tepe, but you can’t tell them much!”  (Often shared as we strong-willed children tried to wear down our parents.)

  4. “Pray hard as everything depends on God, and work hard as if everything depends on you. With that combination, you cannot lose.”  (Slightly modified by mom or dad, but a true and insightful quote from St. Augustine.  Mainly used to comfort, and motivate us to study and pray for exam success or to obtain jobs.)

  5. “Little children love each other.  Are they always kind and true? …”  (--Solid, sage advice for all!  Mom could recite an entire poem beginning with these words, all supporting the Golden Rule!)

  6. “You’re Irish and you’re beautiful!”  (So, so, sorry for those of you who are not Irish-but we are!  Mom was Irish (–nee Sheridan)  and German.  Dad–solid German!  But Mom usually sang these words, and many other Irish songs to us to remind us of our Irish heritage and  blessings!)

  7. “Offer it up.”  (This one summarizes life and eternity! —spoken by Mom multiple, multiple, times a day!  These three short words put our little inconveniences, (early curfews, skinned knees, sharing toys) and any big crosses (illnesses, deaths, etc) into the perspective of solid Catholic-Christian theology.  Jesus loved us so much that He was crucified and died to save us from our sins.  All our “crosses” can be given to Him and “offered up” as a prayer and in thanksgiving for His Passion.)

  8. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”  (Wow!  This one sounds rough, right?  Yet, with this nugget, the reality of hell was always before us, and it reminded us to act virtuously, not just think about doing good.  This one is closely aligned with “Actions speak louder than words!”  

  9. “Pray, pray, pray.!”  (Again, this one heralds to a great saint-St. Paul!  But, the words are true.   Mom practiced what she preached with this sound-byte!  We prayed a daily family Rosary. We prayed morning, meal, and night prayers.  Mass was the most important event each week.  If someone had and accident, we prayed.  We named blessings, and thanked God, and praised Him.  Thanks, Mom and Dad, for these three words and for teaching us to pray.

  10. “Never let the sun set on your anger.” (This was most used in discussing habits of life-long marriages, but, again, it is a rock-solid sound-byte for life.  Whether in reference to fights amongst siblings or with your spouse, or anyone else,  FORGIVENESS AND MERCY is always the answer.) 

Thanks, Mom!  You were the best! I enjoyed remembering your love and wisdom.  I miss you!

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