On my mother’s headstone are engraved three simple but important words: Live-Laugh-Love.These words were my mother’s favorite quote, and they embody everything you needed to know about her. Those three words describe her life perfectly! Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and I want to tell you about the person who shaped me into the person that I am today.
Live:
Oh, how that woman LIVED!! She lived joyfully, simply, gratefully, and with determination and grit. My mother taught me the value of living life each day to the fullest! When she was confronted with challenges, as we all are at times, she faced her challenges head-on. She refused to allow others to steal her joy, and she was always thankful for what she had. She always said (as I alluded to in a previous post), “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” and that’s exactly what she did! When she went through a divorce and became a single mother of two young daughters, she was able to provide a stable, healthy, loving home for us. The same determined and fearless spirit is what gave her the gumption to quit her boring and unrewarding job as a medical secretary and launch her own business! Nothing could keep her down for long. She always found a way to look at the bright side of life and saw the possibilities. It was her ability to truly live that enabled her to have so many stories to tell as she got older. There was no such thing as “sitting on the sidelines” and watching life pass her by. She was much too busy living for that!
Laugh:
I wish I had a recording of her laugh. It was contagious! She was known for her stories, and they would become more and more outrageous the more times that she told them. She was known to “embellish” her stories a bit…My word, the stories that I could tell about her. We went on so many fun adventures with her. Once, she had a desire to “spy” on some people at a high school graduation. (I’ll leave the details to your imagination). Well, before we knew what was happening, she had rented a car and dragged Sister and I with her to the graduation. While we were too embarrassed to get out of the car, she dressed in disguise, marched herself right into that gym, and sat right there close to the culprits. They never knew she was there. We laughed about that for years! We laughed with her all the time! She loved life, and laughed through it all. I truly believe that is one of her greatest gifts to us. Sister and I can laugh in even the toughest of times. We can nearly always find something to laugh about. It’s good for the soul…
Love:
My mother loved deeply and fiercely. She loved her family above all else. She literally adored her two girls and her three amazing grandchildren. She also gave the gift of time. Mother attended every single event that her children or grandchildren participated in, be it sporting events, band, you named it, and she was there. She was proud of us no matter what. She loved us unconditionally, and that was the greatest gift. She never compared us to each other. She accepted us as we were. Because of her, I learned not to compare my boys and to accept them for the beautiful, unique souls that they are. What a gift. What a legacy. What a life well lived! Thank you for everything!
This post was originally published on our Two Ladybugs Vintage website.
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Jill’s Journal 