If you do an online search for “Mother’s Day gifts,” you’ll find at least 459,000,000 (459 million!) different gift ideas for dear Mom from chocolate-drizzled strawberries and fresh floral arrangements to crossbody bags and spa gift cards.
But instead of sharing the 10 Best Gifts for Mom, I’d like to share the 10 Best Gifts from Mom—the sound advice for living a fun, full life that my mother modeled. Many of these priceless gifts from Bernice were never spoken, but simply lived out in the day-to-day trenches and treasures of her daily life.
1. Don’t cry over spilled milk. Just wipe up the mess and pour yourself another glass.
2. Bake someone happy. Cookies have a medicinal way of drying tears and restoring smiles.
3. Give generously and without expecting something in return.
4. Laugh, giggle, and chortle like there is no tomorrow because today needs plenty of its own mirth.
5. Get down on a child’s level and play like a free-spirited little person.
6. Skip making friends with gossip, anger, and jealousy.
7. Doodle, draw, and dream all you want. Who cares if no one sees your mini masterpieces or fully understands your daring aspirations?
8. Attend the funerals and don’t worry about what you’ll say. Just being there often says it all.
9. Plant and enjoy plenty of flowers, for they are the Nature’s free fashion show.
10. Talk honestly with God and let Him talk honestly with you. Never fear that His conversations with you are being recorded for training purposes.
What gifts from your mom would you like to celebrate? I’d love to hear about them.
My mom was always learning. She took cooking classes, organ lessons, sewing classes, needlepoint classes, Bible studies, golf lessons, bridge lessons. And she did this until she joined heaven’s choir. Such a good example for me. I miss her.
Oh, Gerry, how wonderful that your dear mom stayed so joyfully active. She was an incredible example to you and so many others. I understand the missing your mom. Heaven will be one beyond joyful reunion and maybe our moms are doing some needlepoint and cooking today. 🙂
These are great. What a gift your mother was.
Thank you so much, Greg. It is encouraging to stop and reflect on her many gifts, many I did not always recognize at the time. I think we all have meaningful gifts and wise words to share with others. I know YOU do that with so many of us. 🙂
Wonderful, Beth, and I love the boat photo!! My mom was full of advice I call “momolies.” Things like “beauty knows no pain” and “pretty is as pretty does.” If we were busy she’d say there were “no flies on us!” And on and on. Great memories and fun things to pass on to my kids and grandkids!
Nancy, I sooo wish I had met your mom this side of heaven. What choice gems she shared that you can continue to impart to your kids and grandkids. I LOVE these momolies! Bless you for being a wise and FUN mother role model to so many of us.