I’m the age my mom was when we lost her to cancer, and I know that experience is impacting how I approach my 50s. I didn’t get to have my mom as part of my life for very long. And while I can’t send call her or send flowers, I take this time to remember a few of the things she taught me:
Attain independence
Learning to rely on yourself is freeing. I love my family and friends and much prefer their company to my own. But knowing that I can change a tire, travel to new places, or rewire a plug gives me a sense of confidence and independence that allows me to be confident in my abilities in a new situation.
It is possible to learn more from your mistakes than from your successes, but you have to work at it. We all make mistakes, it’s what you do after that can make a difference.
There’s always more than one way to solve a problem. I grew up mostly overseas, in places we loved living but which did not have most of the “things” available in the US. I remember my mom learning to make ketchup as it wasn’t available in the store. Other people trucked back bottles of it returning from travels. That worked too.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. And it’s cousin, just because you think it, doesn’t mean you have to say it.
There’s always room for one more – invite people in. They may decline, but more likely they’ll accept and there’s always room for one more.
Plan for the future but enjoy the present – Balance saving for the future with living in the present. In the time of YOLO, be intentional about where you are spending your time and your money.
