HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!

Drinking, Stealing and Swearing. Lessons My Mom Taught Me. 

Some of you may even know My Mom. I see you post stuff on her Face Book Page! I largely am who I am today because of the lesson my Mom taught me. She was a single mom for most of my youth. We didn’t have a lot, but we never went with out. Now I want to share them with you.

To DRINK from the Fountain of youth: I really believe that getting OLD is a mind set. I learned that you are as young as you want to be.

To SWEAR to do my best at what ever I set out to do. She always told my brother and I, “If you have a job flipping burgers, be the best damn burger flipper. It’s the only way you will move up.”

To STEAL time away to be with friends and family. Mom was always busy, but she always made time for friends.

As you can see, my mom is a pretty amazing person. She has inspired me in so many ways and she is constantly teaching me new things. She’s taught me all of the lessons listed here and so many more and, for that, I will always, always be thankful. Not many people are lucky enough to come in contact with people as great as my mom, let alone have her for a mother so, though I’m trying my best to resist bragging, I must say that I am extremely lucky to have her in my life. Mom, I hope you have the best BIRTHDAY  you have ever had and I hope that every year to come is even greater — and filled with even more wonderful lessons — than the last. You know this already, but I’ll tell you again: you are always in my heart. I love you to the sky and back. Enjoy the Ballet today!!

Things I learned from my Mom. (reposted from Mothers Day)

Read on:

1. Be generous with others. Anyone who knows my mom knows she’s one of the most generous people in the world. She’s always happy to lend a hand or help someone out if she can. It’s from her that I’ve learned to be (or tried to be) a giving person.
2. Live in the moment. Throughout my life, my mom has always shown me how to embrace the present moment. She never seems to dwell on the past or stress overly about the future. She is one of the few people I know who really knows how to live in the now.
3. Strive to be patient. Between dealing with me, my brothers, and my step-dad, my mom has developed an amazing ability to be patient. This is something I truly admire since I’m not the most patient person in the world. I hope someday I can be as patient as my mom is.
4. Open yourself to new ideas. I’ve gone through some pretty wacky phases in my life, but through them all, my mom has always been open-minded and willing to embrace whatever I happen to be into at the moment, which is a very inspiring quality!
5. Support those you love. Through ups and downs, good and bad, my mom has always remained supportive of her loved ones. I’m sure at times it was hard to be supportive of my choices, but she has always been my #1 encourager.
6. Look for the positive. Honestly, my mom is the most positive person I know (it makes me sick). I strive to be positive, but she is positive. No matter what the situation is, she always looks for the good in it and, more often than not, helps me see the good too.
7. Show interest in others’ lives. My mom really takes interest in others’ lives. Whether it’s her best friend or the woman ringing up her groceries at the store, my mom is deeply interested in the lives of others. This is something I really admire and need to explore more in my own life. Perhaps it is because my mom may be a little lonely and crazy.
8. Spend time with your friends. Not only is my mom interested in the lives of others, but she really makes an effort to spend time with them. She has tons of friends and devotes lots of time to them, making her life rich with friendship and love.
9. See the good in people. No matter what kind of terrible side I’ve shown my mom, she always remembers the good parts of me. Maybe it’s because I’m her eldest son, but I really believe that she seeks to see the good in people, which makes her world much more positive.
10. Don’t take things personally. My mom knows when to let things go and she recognizes when something I’ve said or done really isn’t about her, but instead is about something going on with me. Not taking things personally is one of the best ways to live a happy life.
11. Give more than you get. As I said in point #1, my mom is extremely generous. She’s always willing to help out her friends in times of need. Even though she doesn’t always get the same thing in return, she’s always willing to give and give and give.
12. Take a break once and awhile. My mom’s a hard worker (and player!), but she knows when it’s time for a break. She schedules time for herself and makes sure to take frequent trips to get away for a little while. Life is hard and a break is something we all need every once and awhile!
13. Don’t overreact. I have a tendency to overreact, but my mom is not that way. She usually has a very calm demeanor and, when presented with a situation that could result in panic, she takes a step back and reminds everyone to calm down.
14. Enjoy your moments. It can be really hard to enjoy the moment, especially if a moment is mundane, but my mom always manages to make the most of her moments. Even if she’s doing something that’s not so fun, she finds a way to make it enjoyable.
15. Remember what’s important. My mom has a lot going on in her life (who doesn’t?!), but she always manages to prioritize what’s important to her. Her friends and family really matter to her and she makes time for them and puts them first.
16. Celebrate beauty. My mom is a beautiful person — inside and out — and she is one of the people in my life who has taught me to celebrate and appreciate beauty. She notices the beauty in things and, in turn, I’ve learned to do that as well.
17. Notice the little things. In general, moms are good at this. They notice when something isn’t quite right and they strive to make it better. Or, they pick up on something small but wonderful and make note of it. My mom’s great at paying attention and noticing life’s details.
18. Make the most of mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes in life, but my mom has taught me to make the most of them. I can remember a time when I was coloring and I make a mistake. Instead of starting over, she suggested we turn my little error into a heart. Brilliant!
19. Know who you are (and who you want to be). My mom has always been supportive of my personal development and she’s always encouraged me to think about who I am and who I want to be in the future. She’s inspired me to work on becoming the best me I can possibly be. She made sure I studied something other than JUST GYMNASTICS in college.
20. Never give up. One of the greatest things about my mom is her persistence. If she wants to get something done, she will find a way — no matter what. As she always says, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” I wouldn’t believe this if I hadn’t seen it come to life in her so many times.
21. Do everything with enthusiasm. Being upbeat and positive can be hard, but my mom never fails to greet each day with an enthusiastic attitude. No matter what’s going on in her life, she does her best to accomplish her daily goals with enthusiasm.
22. Stay true to your beliefs. My mom knows what she believes in and she stays true to those beliefs. It’s important to recognize what’s important to you and what matters most to you, and my mom has manage to do that — and to stay loyal to those things that matter most.
23. Give yourself choices. Looking for options is definitely one of my mom’s strengths. Whenever I find myself in a tough spot, I know my mom will be able to figure out another alternative. She’s able to look at life and see choices where others see obstacles.
24. Be yourself. Staying true to herself is another one of my mom’s great qualities. She knows who she is and she is herself in any situation. It’s not easy to be consistent in this way, but my mom is always who she wants to be, no matter what.
25. Trust your intuition. As with so many mothers, my mom has an amazing intuition. She knows when something is up. She knows when something has gone down. And, most importantly, she listens to these instincts. My mom has made me see just how important intuition is.
26. Speak your mind. Much like me, my mom is no wallflower. If she has an option about something, she’ll tell you about it. I love her ability to say what’s on her mind and I find it inspiring to watch her speak up for what she believes in.
27. Surround yourself with what you love. Like so many people, my mom has made the choice to surround herself with people and things that she loves. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized just how important it is to make the things around you the thing s you love most.
28. Practice kindness daily. My mom is, by far, one of the kindest people I know. She’s one of those people who does all of the little things to make others’ days better, and for that I really admire her. I must remind myself daily to be kind and I hope someday I can be just like my mom.
29. Adapt when faced with change. Life is full of changes and unexpected circumstances, but my mom is one of the best adapters. When faced with change, she does what she can to make the most of it. As someone who doesn’t love change, I find this quality immensely important.
30. Pursue your dreams. No matter what I’ve been doing, my mom has always, always encouraged me to do what I love. She has always believed in me and she’s always helped me to believe in myself. It is because of her that I am writing right now — because she believed in my ability.
31. Accept what you cannot change. One of the reasons I think my mom is so great at adapting to change is because she recognizes when she cannot change a situation and she accepts that. As I said before, she will do her best to get what she wants, but she also knows how to accept what is.
32. Give energy to get energy. “Energetic” and “full of life” are two things I would definitely use to describe my mom. She is always full of energy and, for that reason, she gets a lot of energy coming back at her. I’ve noticed when I give out energy, I always get it back (just like my mom!).
33. Do what you can with what you have. My mom knows how to make the most of whatever she’s working with. Whether it’s supplies for a school project or life in general, my mom knows how to take the things she’s given and make them work for her. She is the QUEEN OF DUCT TAPE.
34. Be a good listener. My mom is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G listener (maybe this is why she has so many friends!), and I think it’s such a wonderful quality to have. It can be really hard to listen to people sometimes, but my mom has turned listening into an art. (So much so that even random strangers will confess their life stories to her!)
35. Don’t dwell on negative emotions. With all of our lives comes the good and the bad. My mom is open to experiencing both the positive and the negative, but she doesn’t dwell on the negative. As someone who used to dwell so much in negativity, I can really appreciate people who focus on the positive.
36. Share your experiences. I think part of the reason my mom is such a great listener is because she’s also a great talker. She’s open to sharing her experiences with others, which is great. So many people (myself included!) hold back so much, and it’s wonderful to see people like my mom sharing themselves with others.
37. Say “Yes!” to new things. My mom’s a “Yes!” woman. She is open to experiencing new things and trying new things and I love that about her. Many people as they get older become settled in their ways, but not my mom. She’s always ready to try something new!
38. See the humor in life. Life can be really, really funny — but only if you’re paying attention. My mom is one of those people who, when faced with hard times, knows how to look for the humor in it. And I can remember quite a few times when I was so down and only she could make me laugh.
39. Don’t be afraid to be silly. My mom is a silly lady, and she’s not afraid of her silliness. There are so many aspects of life that require the utmost seriousness, so why not take some time to be silly every now and then? My mom knows how to embrace her silly side — and helps me embrace mine too! It is also what makes her an amazing grandmother to my children.
40. Work hard for what you want. Nothing good comes without a lot of hard work, and no one knows this better than my mom. If you really want something, you have to go after it. You have to make it happen. My mom is so inspiring in this way because she has taught me to really go after what I want in life.
41. Be adventurous. I’ll admit it: my mom is much more adventurous than I’ll probably ever be. There were so many times we would just jump in the car and go explore.
42. Love with all of your heart. Loving can be scary. It can be risky. But my mom has taught me that it can be so rewarding if you put your whole heart into it. My mom is a hopeless romantic and she really does believe in the beauty of love, which, lucky for me, is a belief she’s passed onto me.
43. Create memories and traditions. Because of my mom, I’m a huge holiday person. I love to get into the act of making memories and creating traditions — and I owe that part of me completely to my mom. Because of her, I cannot imagine a life without wonderful memories to look back on.
44. Encourage others to be their best. Throughout my life, my mom has always been encouraging me to be the best I could be, and often her ideas of what I could be were so much better than my own. It’s because of her that I believe in myself and believe that I have the ability to be the best possible me.
45. Know which battles are worth fighting. My mom knows how to pick her battles. She knows which things are worth fighting for (or about) and which are worth letting go. I’m still learning this myself, but I’m lucky to have a role model to look up to so that I know that not everything is worth a battle.
46. Laugh at yourself. My mom sees the humor in life, but she also sees the humor in herself too. She knows when it’s okay to just look at yourself and laugh. Some people have a really hard time seeing themselves as funny, but I really believe it’s important not to take yourself too seriously.
47. Go the extra mile. Going the extra mile is something my mom is an expert at. She knows how to go above and beyond in almost every situation. It’s inspiring to see someone who really does the best she can when it comes to other people, when it can be so tempting to just do the bare minimum.
48. Think highly of yourself. Because of my mom, I’ve learned that it’s okay to think you’re pretty great. My mom isn’t cocky or over-the-top in love with herself, but she is confident. She knows she’s pretty awesome and she’s taught me that it’s okay — no, great — to think highly of yourself.
49. Choose your friends wisely. This seems like simple advice, but it’s actually very important. Who you surround yourself with says a lot about you, and I’ve learned from my mom that it’s so important to choose friends carefully. Because of her choosiness, she has a great group of friends (Although some are pretty loud)!
50. Know when it’s time to let go. It can be really hard to let go, but I’ve seen my mom let go of even the hardest things with grace. I’ve seen her send me off to college; I’ve seen her deal with death. Letting go is very, very hard, but my mom has provided a great example of someone who knows when it’s time to let go.
51. Forgive others’ mistakes. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but my mom is always the first to forgive me. I’ve seen her forgive others too, and it’s truly amazing to watch her forgiveness in action. Forgiving can be a very hard thing, but my mom has taught me its value.
52. Highlight strengths, not weaknesses. Many people aren’t even aware of their strengths or weaknesses, but my mom is one of the few that knows what her strengths are and makes the most of them. She knows what she’s good at and she highlights those points. (She also does that for other people as well!)
53. Treat others the way they want to be treated. It’s tempting to treat others how you want to be treated, but my mom’s selflessness has taught me that it’s even better to treat others how they want to be treated. I’ve learned from her to pay attention and to treat others in a way that makes them feel great.

Many, Many years ago I was doing a clinic at a Wininger’s Gymnastics in Connecticut . As I was sitting at their front desk I thought it would be funny to write in my birthday on their Gym Calendar. (May 24th by the way).

That year (and every year since)  I got a phone call from Maureen, one of the coaches on my Birthday. So I found out when her Birthday Is and have called her on her Birthday ever since.

Now that I have this cool website I figured I could further embarrass her  here!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAUREEN!