On this Mother’s Day I would like to give more
than a Happy Mother’s Day statement, so this is my wish for all of my kids both
biological and semi adopted.
When my kids were young it was fairly easy to
keep them safe. I had them in a controlled environment and I could tell them; “No
– Don’t touch the hot stove”. As you have grown and become adults I find it
harder to keep you safe. I believe that parenting is much harder as your kids
get older. It is when they want you the least that they need you the most.
I watch my kids struggle and want to interject
a solution but they don’t want to hear it. I watch them do the same thing over
and over expecting different outcomes, but they keep getting the same result. I
am so connected to them that I feel their joy in successes and the overwhelming
pain of their failures. So I am going to take this opportunity in this forum to
say what I want to say in hopes that some of it will be heard.
1.
Chose a mate wisely. I have raised
you all to be confident and kind. You are also all very talented, smart people.
People are attracted to you because they like your energy and you make them
feel good being near you. This does not mean that they are good for you as a
lifelong mate. Take your time and chose someone who matches with you. Someone
who lifts you up when you need it. Someone who believes in your dreams and has
dreams of their own. Find that someone that the two of you together are better
than you are as individuals.
2.
Find your path. Each of you has
talents and great things to offer the world. Don’t sabotage you dreams with poor
decisions. Completing something to its conclusion so that you can move on to
the next level is what it is about. Don’t set each thing up to fail because a fear
of success. I watch each of you do this. I try to tell you not to “touch the
hot stove”, but you don’t hear me and I am powerless to help you. I am also
powerless to change the outcome at that point even though I know what is coming.
All I can do is pick up the pieces and try to put you back together. So think
about your actions and the potential ramifications before you execute. I have
found that spontaneity is most of the time not a good thing. Granted you can
over think things, but most of the time a little more thought is better.
3.
Fight battles worth fighting and
make a plan to win. All of you at one point or another has jumped on a “band
wagon” and taken on something because you believed in it. Often without thinking
it through and understanding the consequences. I believe in following your
passions, but understand that first and foremost is protecting and taking care
of yourself. You can’t do much for your passion or cause if you are disaffected
in some way. Take care of number one because you can’t help anyone without you.
4.
Don’t let yourself be used. There
are a lot of people out there that are thinking of themselves and what you can
do for them. Each of you have been in a situation where you were trying to be
noble and have allowed someone to manipulate you for their benefit. You have
been the fall guy. Sometimes it has been spouses. Sometimes it has been friends
or bosses. You have to step outside the box sometimes and slow things down.
Take an objective look at the situation and see if you are being used. If you
are then put the brakes on it before you are damaged in some way. I am not
saying you should become selfish and jaded, but understand when you are being
used and the potential outcome will be bad for you. Put a stop to it before bad
things happen. You will find that people will respect you more as a result.
5.
Don’t procrastinate. If something
has a deadline than take care of it before it gets to it. Some things that
start out small become much bigger and potentially disastrous when you let them
go. And they don’t go away when they are ignored. So take care of business and
pay attention.
I love you all
with all my heart and my wish is that you attack life with all your energy and
passion. Follow your dreams and don’t repeat my mistakes. Above all value and take
care of yourself. My Mother’s day wish is that when you come to the end of your
days you can look back and say you honestly made a difference and Wow What a
Ride!
