Thursday, January 13, 2005
My Mom My Mom was a well loved, well respected individual. She was a different kind of person than most. She had a very unique outlook on life that I would like to share with all of you here today. She knew she was not without flaw, and did not expect others to be without flaw. She was able to love people for who they were; not who she would have expected them to be. You may wonder exactly what quality my mom had, that made her so easy to get along with, and such a likeable person. I think a good analogy would be that she thought of people just as she would have thought of her tool collection. She had quite a collection of tools; just as she had a LOT of close friends. She loved to do projects around the house, just as she loved to spend time getting to know people. She used common sense in her relationships and life; just as she would use common sense when building a bench, or a birdhouse. She knew you can't get mad at a tool for not doing a job that it was not designed to do. You wouldn't get upset if your pliers wouldn't turn a wood screw; or if your circular saw wouldn't pound a nail into the wall. My mom believed every tool has a purpose. She believed every person had a purpose in life. She knew that tools will only work in the ways they were intended to work, just as people are only able to work in the ways they were taught, or believe. Just like tools; my mom knew it makes no sense to get angry with a person for not doing things they were not capable of doing; because every person has a list of things they are good at, and a list of things they are not good at. She knew that this list went far beyond what a person could do with their hands. For this reason, she saw people for what they were actually capable of doing and being; not what she wanted them to be or do. She never had unrealistic expectations of people. When she saw a side of a person she did not like, she would try to ignore that side, and find qualities she did like in the person. She would not write a person off - as a person she just did not like. She liked, or loved just about everyone she ever met. As an example, I know I was not the best son in the world. You could say that I was neglectful at times. I let months at a time go by without calling her. I let birthdays go by without even a card. My Mom never got upset with me for not living up to her expectations. She would never even let me know if she had expectations for me the first place. She just wanted me to be myself. She knew that I was who I was, and she loved me for who I was, just as she loved all people for who they were, and who they are; through all their weaknesses, shortcomings, and flaws. I knew my Mom had a lot of friends when I visited her a few times (in Florida) in the months before she passed away. She was getting flowers, visitors, and phone calls almost constantly. People were offering to drive her places and do things for her. I was grateful to have spent time with my mom while she was still alive. I was just as grateful to see that other people cared for her as if she were part of their own family. I would like to thank every person that let my mom know they were there for her in her hour of need. I know that people did care for her, just as she cared for other people. My mom was a rare breed of person, and I know she will be sorely missed. I hope others can learn from her personality & beliefs. I hope that I can be one of those people. I feel that who-ever does learn from her; her spirit will go on, in you.
