Reflecting While Heading Home

I want to talk about three important pieces of advice for our sons and daughters.

This Saturday morning, my ultimate concierge, my pooch America and I are leaving Palm Springs, California for my beautiful Chicago. Home is where my heart lies. We have spent most of the winter at our California home and truth be known, I  am ready to leave this quiet and charming community for the city I love, my beautiful Chicago. I am looking forward to spending Mother’s Day with my mom and family. Four days later, we will be hopping on a flight to Arizona to visit my daughter and son-in-law and three grandchildren to celebrate my birthday, my granddaughter’s birthday and my grandson’s graduation from high school. Home and family are right around the corner and I am feeling all warm and snuggly because I am blessed to have my family and a loving family of Goods.

Thoughts of the happy events that lay ahead were on my mind as I drove to Palm Springs to finish up last minute errands. I parked my car and walked down the street thinking that I know what I am going to muse about when I arrive home today.

A Mother’s Love

As moms, our goal is to raise well-rounded children with good values. Unfortunately, we are not schooled in motherhood so we try our best by reading books on child rearing, using our instinct and giving love unconditionally. We watch their joys, wipe their tears, help them solve their problems, kiss them good night, protect them, teach them our values, help them with school work and support their dreams. One day they leave for college, then they marry, start a career and become a parent. The majority of moms watch from the background in awe and pride and think to ourselves–we did it!

I was not a strict mother. My children learned from watching my actions more than hearing my words to do this and don’t do that,  just as I learned from watching my mother. Monkey see monkey do. Of course, I guided my children and taught my children. A mother teaches her children compassion, courage, self-discipline, responsibility. loyalty, honesty, friendship and love, gratitude and seeing their glass half full. I know we all… try, try, try.

From a Mother: 3 Pieces of Advice For Daughters and Sons

Asked to divulge in three pieces of advice, I would note the following:

1. Think of others.
2. Can’t is not in your vocabulary.
3. Live outside the box.

Think of Others

I vividly recall the evening I met Barbara Walters. My ultimate concierge and I were in New York and dining at La Grenouille. We never miss having dinner there because the restaurant is so romantic. The tables are very close to one another and by chance, the table in front of us had eight people speaking French, Italian, and English. My husband noticed Barbara Walters as one of the women at the table and knew her from his past. He decided, after we finished our meal, that he would walk over to her table and say hello. I said I would meet him at the exit, which was very close to the tables.

At the exit, I turned to wait for him and noticed a woman signaling me with her hand in the air. I turned to see if there might be someone behind me. There was no one. As I turned back she signaled again. It was Barbara Walters. I walked over to her table, said hello to everyone. She was dressed in all white, as was I, and she was beautiful. She wanted to talk to me privately, so she signaled me to lean down close to her. Barbara paid me a lovely compliment. I thanked her and told her, “It is a pleasure to meet such a woman of substance.”

The next morning I decided to write a story to my daughters and all daughters. I wanted to stress the importance of sharing compliments with other women. I told them of my meeting with Barbara Walters and my happy experience. Yes, I was overwhelmed that she paid me a  lovely compliment, but I recall my feeling when I returned one to her. I felt so happy inside reciprocating her happiness.

Daughters and sons, don’t hold back the gift of giving a compliment. A giving person is caring, empathetic, generous, compassionate and is kind. You know who you are; don’t feel threatened when you give back.

There Is No Such Word As Can’t

Another piece of advice for daughters and sons: can’t does not exist. It weakens your vision, it destroys your plans and robs you of purpose. It destroys ambition. You are capable of achieving your vision. Work for it.

I have struggled. You will struggle. Part of the adventure is the struggle. To land standing tall.  The word can’t was not in my vocabulary and it cannot be in yours.

Live Outside The Box

My advice for daughters and sons, life is what we make it. If your life does not please you, change it. Don’t live with low horizons. Put curiosity and enthusiasm at the top of your list and monotony at the bottom. Be a good listener, involve yourself with interesting people, do not fear the unknown, take time to relish silence and nature, dare yourself to dare, explore the world and our beautiful country, love until it hurts, see your glass half full and be beyond grateful. A grateful person is a happy person.

What are the three pieces of advice you’ve shared with your daughters and sons? Is there an essential I missed in my top three? I would love to hear from you, my darlings. Write me on Facebook and let me know!

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