A Mother's Legacy

"Good things come is small packages" ~ I'm surprised these weren't the first words to ever come out of my mouth when I first learnt to talk. This is perhaps the first phrase I ever really remember hearing over and over again. I have heard this phrase so many times that I never consciously have to even think it, it's just there, firmly imprinted on my subconscious. Perhaps it was my mum's mantra while she was still carrying me in the womb.

You see, I come from a family that is somewhat height challenged, with my parents both measuring about 5' 2" in height. This didn't bode well for any of their offspring, so she prepared me well. I have ended up somewhat taller than them at approximately 5' 3"!

I was always the shortest out of all my friends and I often won the invisible trophy for being one of the shortest classmates. These days, I probably would still be one of the shortest people in any group, but to be honest, I never notice.

My mum has taught me that my height is not important, that being short is not something I should ever fret about and that good things do come in small packages, including me!

"You never know what is around the corner" ~ another saying which my mother has firmly imprinted on my mind from a young age. Not only did she succeed in imprinting the saying, but she also succeeded in firmly implanting the intention.

All too often common sayings lose their meaning as we hear them constantly. While they are said with the intention of conveying the meaning behind the saying, the meaning can become slightly watered down and we do not often take notice of the true meaning of the words.

I remember the first time this saying had a significant impact on my thinking. Incredibly I don't remember the cause of the upset, that is long forgotten. I was a young teenager and mum was consoling me over something that I thought was going to be the end of the world. She related a story of someone who had given up hope, a rather solemn story, but it packed a punch. She finished the story with "You see, you never know what's around the corner."

I have never forgotten that story and I have never forgotten the intention of the saying and its hope filled meaning. It has come in handy on many occasions in my life and I have mum to thank for that!

"Never let the sun go down on a disagreement" ~ such practical advice from my mother for relationships with friends, family, my husband and even work colleagues. It is just plain commonsense, unfortunately when we are annoyed or upset, commonsense often flies out the window.

It is great advice and I try to do this as much as possible, particularly for those I consider really important in my life. If I have a disagreement with someone, I always try to make sure that our discussion ends on good terms. I am quite strong-willed, so I will not back down from what I believe is right or true, but I will try to find common ground or a way forward.

I can't say I achieve this 100% of the time, but I try and I think this has strengthened my relationships with those around me over the years. Thanks mum for sharing this advice with me and you will be happy to know that I do listen!

"Is everybody happy?" was my mum's catchphrase at all family gatherings. I don't even remember when or how it started, but we would all wait for it and it would make us laugh. Yes, we are a strange family, but laughter features highly on our list of "must haves" in life.

Until recently, I have never really thought about what mum was trying to achieve by saying this, but I can be a little slow in the uptake at times. I saw it purely as a check that everyone had what they needed to enjoy the day. We would all laugh, tell her we were happy and then carry on with our celebrations.

In one way, it was a check. Mum wanted us to be happy at these family get togethers and celebrations, but as I have gotten older, I have realised that this was her way of showing us that our happiness was important to her, that we should always strive to be happy and we should enjoy family time together.

Happiness and laughter feature highly in my life and would definitely feature in the top five things I need to live a fulfilling life. Thanks mum for always reminding me how important these things are for a rewarding life.