When it comes to reflecting on our families and lessoned learned, there is no better time than the end of the year holidays. As we prepare for and celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzza), our thoughts are filled with warm memories of the past.
There is never a wrong time of year to remember to be grateful for what we have. There is never a wrong time of year to remember that each day is a gift. We may strive to make each year better than the last, but we know there are no guarantees.
In reflecting on traits I have taken and lessons I have learned from my parents, I’ve come to realize some things. Obviously, with my dark brown hair and eyes, I’ve never resembled the blond hair and green eyes of my mother. I also do not share her unrelenting selflessness. I am fully aware that I am more apt to be self-assured and assertive (which, I know, can be interpreted as arrogance). Because I was in college when she died, we did not have an opportunity to truly know each other as adults. But, as I have spent hours cleaning and decorating for the holidays, I have wondered — at this moment in time, what is the #1 lesson I have learned from my mother?
Never quit.
Simply put, there was nothing my mother could not accomplish if it needed to be done. Literally, physically, the answer was always — shove harder. Don’t be afraid of it, don’t be intimidated by it — just work harder.
Whether they are with us in person, in spirit, or only in memories, let us all take a moment to reflect and be grateful for our loved ones.