My Mother Julie is in the middle of her eighth decade of living life to its fullest on Planet Earth.  She tells me all the time about how blessed and fortunate she has been.

 

 

 

I feel the same…..about her. ‘Tis the holly jolly Christmas season – time for me to spread a little joy to the world and let everyone know that I GOT LUCKY! I hit the Mother lottery. I hit the Mom jackpot. No tickets bought or dice rolled. I was brought into this world by a wonderful woman who went on to provide me with an equally blessed and fortunate existence.

 

 

 

 

 

Where do I start when talking about Mom? I’m not sure I have enough words to express my thoughts elegantly and effectively. I’ll give it the old college try.

 

 

 

 

 

At first I thought of honoring Mom, who has lived in her house on Amaryllis Drive for more than 59 years, with my Top 59 reasons I love and enjoy being her son. That seemed a tad over-ambitious. Seemed easier to boil down the list to my eight most-memorable reasons (one for every decade) Mom has been impactful to her left-handed son who once had a cowlick:

1.  Mom was always home for us after school.

My sister and I had no idea of the importance of this simple fact. Mom was there in the morning when we left and there when we got home. Never missed. We didn’t need keys or entry codes. Mother watched over her flock. Stability at home led to stability away from home. Being cared for and nurtured was second nature to her. She did it for love and all the right reasons. Just about everyone seeks stability in the professional world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Mom was always telling me to “stand up straight.”

She was a stickler for posture. I can still hear “those three words” in my dreams. Whether I was standing in the kitchen or being an altar boy at church, Mom was always watching and unafraid to comment. She did it with love, 50 times per week! Slouching was unacceptable. Shoulders back – head up. As always, she was right on the money. Excellent posture goes a long way in the professional world.

 

 

 

 

 

3.  Mom would never let me out of the house with stained or wrinkled clothes.

I played a LOT of Little League baseball games. I was a sweater and slider. After every game, Mom was always lugging my dirty uniform down to the basement laundry. Grass stains out.  Freshness in. Didn’t matter if it was late and I had a game the next day, she laundered with love. Many summer afternoons I saw my uni drying in the sun on the backyard clothes line.  To this day, I never wear a disheveled referee jersey to any game or match. Ditto for going to the grocery store or taking Elaine on a date. Mother knew best. Neatness scores points in the professional world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Mom was vigilant about me not drinking, smoking or doing drugs.

Thanks, Mom. She was both Sheriff and Judge Julie from the day I hit puberty. “Stay away from all those societal bad influences” was her mantra. In an era when liquor flowed freely at home, ours was hidden and only for company. Even when Dad chugged an Iron City after work, Mom gave him the death stare. She did it with love. At all our family gatherings, booze was never served. Nobody smoked. None of our cousins drink or smoke to any excess that I’m aware of. I’m grateful. Being sober and tobacco-free is the prudent choice in the professional world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Mom instilled trust and responsibility at an early age.

For most of the day-to-day decisions, Mom was the house disciplinarian. Dad would hear and officiate the big stuff, then let Mom dole out the punishment (with love). In the summer, we were allowed to stay out in the neighborhood late into the night. Mom trusted us. We were good kids and rarely did anything stupid. That was big. I learned how to handle myself and make a higher percentage of responsible decisions. That trust-able nature earned me an unexpected calling in 11^th grade – babysitting for two young boys (that my sister used to look after before she went off to college). My best friend’s parents lived next door to where I was sitting. That helped. Those boys were terrors. I learned how to handle them and negotiate. If only the parents knew what really went on?! Learning how to play nice with others is important in the professional world.

 

 

 

 

6.  Mom taught me that doing for others is important and appreciated.

Growing up, every Sunday we would visit both sets of Grandparents. Rarely did we miss. Dad’s rules. I remember Mom always taking laundry baskets home from her parents’ house (the one she grew up in) because they didn’t have a washer. While we were in school or playing outside, Mom was washing their clothes, in anonymity. She did it with love in her heart. Every week. No complaints. No pay. Then she would drive the laundered goods to their downtown home. How special is that? I’m proud to have picked up that helping-out-others gene. I now understand it feels pretty darn good to offer time and assistance to those who need it most. Philanthropy is an admired attribute in the professional world.

     

 

 

 

 

7.  Mom taught me my first college lesson.

I can remember this specific September eve like it was yesterday. I was 18 and getting ready to leave for Seminole Junior College in Sanford, Florida. I had never flown on a plane. I had never washed one piece of laundry. That night Mom made a list of how to wash clothes. It was pretty simple – wash whites separate and colors separate. Never mix. Be responsible. She had such confidence(?) in me that she wrote everything down. After that, it’s all a blur. Her message (done lovingly) must have resonated because I don’t recall any bleeding colors or ring-around-the-collar issues? Today, I’ve maintained laundry and ironing skills. Big Bounce fan. Dressing for success is important in the professional world.

 

 

 

 

8.  Mom was an absolute SAINT for putting up with me.

Talk about love. Mom was oozing with it. She had to deal with me on a daily basis. I had a boyish temper and was prone to moody moods. Especially when people told me what to do – that speaks volumes?! One of her pet sayings was “I give you an inch and you take a mile.” Guilty, as charged. I pushed and pushed. Still do. Fortunately, Mom is one of God’s loving creatures with a long leash. Flaws and all, she still loves me. And I still love her. That love has grown stronger over the years despite being many miles apart. Good things happen to good people. Respecting your elders is becoming a lost art in the professional world.

 

 

 

 

 

To all the children out there – I have one holiday wish to pass along. Call your Mother on a regular basis. Not just at Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Mother’s Day or birthdays. Every week. No matter the time of day or your work schedule. Call and ask about her day. Ask about her health and happiness. Ask about her favorite TV show.

 

 

 

 

E-mail and texts are digital placeholders. Not good enough. Every Mom out there deserves to hear her children’s voices on a regular basis. Make the call.

Trust me. It works. I’ve been doing it for the past 40 years. Almost every Sunday. Rarely do I miss. It’s that important. Jim’s rules.

EXTRA EXTRA – Elaine has a few words to add:

Julie, you should know….

I can attest to the attributes that have been instilled in Jim from you.

One of the most significant memories I have of Jim is when we were in college. He always put classes and homework first. I still remember him sitting at his apartment desk, in front of his typewriter, finishing off a writing assignment, before heading off for fun. It’s a trait he still has to this day and bodes well for being a responsible husband and partner. I see this commitment and stick-to-itiveness every day. He got this from his mom.

Jim’s values are what drives him and has kept him on the straight and narrow all these years. I don’t think there is anything that would hurt him more than if someone questioned his integrity and/or honor. He knows that it is this trait that was the clincher for me in sharing my heart and life with him. I’m most certain he got this from his mom and I am grateful.

Women often hear that a way to judge a man as to how he will treat you is how he treats his mother. Well, I hit the jackpot on this one! Jim is always mindful of being respectful, thoughtful and courteous to his mom. I know he mirrors that same devotion to me, as his wife, in all the small kindnesses and considerations he makes for me day-in and day-out. He got this from his mom – the unequivocal expectation of how a man treats a woman, particularly his mother and his wife.

To Julie, my most sincere gratitude and thanks for raising such a fine son, in every sense of the word. And, in all the ways that truly matter. He got those things from you.