Happy Mother's Day - And Some "Mom-isms"

Yesterday, one of my daughters and her fiance invited his mother and me out for brunch. During the meal we talked and exchanged gifts and cards. This particular daughter always gives me cards that contain lovely verses from the heart that are appropriate to our mother-daughter relationship. Since we are both sentimental people, studio cards or other funny cards have never been the type special occasion cards we have ever given each other. Yesterday, my gift bag contained two cards. Since my daughter has a six-year old son, I thought the smaller envelope was from him. But as I read the lovely verse in the card contained in the larger of the two envelopes, my daughter warned me the smaller envelope contained a "funny" card. And it did. This is what the front of the smaller card said: "You told me that just because everyone else is jumping off a bridge doesn't mean that I have to. I know you didn't think I was listening......." On the inside, the sentence continued with "but see......I didn't jump off!"

The saying above is one of many simple warning statements said by mothers everywhere, including me. I refer to these motherly warnings as "Mom-isms." My daughter certainly heard her share of "Mom-isms" from me over the years, including the one about jumping off the bridge. I learned most of my "Mom-isms" from my own mother, who had said them repeatedly to my siblings and to me while we were growing up. A typical "Mom-ism" begins with "If you do that, (blank) will happen." or "When you say that (blank) will result," or "Just because (blank) is doing (blank) doesn't mean you have to do (blank) too." Having six children of my own, including four teenagers at one time, definitely allowed me ample opportunity to perfect my own repertoire of "Mom-isms."

On Mother's Day today, for those of us who are fortunate to have mothers still living, it is the perfect time to reflect on all the special moments we had with them over the years. But it is also a day for us who have been blessed with children to think about the memorable years and the special times we spent with them while they were growing into the men and women they are today. And maybe, just maybe, it was one of those "Mom-isms" that kept my daughter from "jumping off the bridge."