Week 15

Mother knows best
The people in our lives often inspire us to become more loving, more generous and more graceful. I feel fortunate to have so many people in my life that fit this bill, but today, I will write about one specific person who is my inspiration, my confidant and my biggest fan. This is my MOTHER, Connie. After providing you with just a glimpse of the type of person she is, you will understand why I am honouring her, and I hope that you will take some of her wisdom to heart, as I did.
It amazing just how many life lessons I learned from my mother. To be honest, I didn’t give her enough credit until I was a mother myself. I used to think “how hard could it be?” I did not appreciate the unconditional love, perfect intimacy of mother and child, and utter frustration when things don’t go as planned, followed by relief with resolution. I have vivid memories of being at the local ski hill one Saturday night saying to myself, “Geez, why is she over-reacting to the fact that I am drinking Malibu rum out of a plastic pineapple, after all, I am 15 for crying out loud.” Life lesson number one: Think before you act and learn from your mistakes. Why is it that my mother always knows what is best and relentlessly has my best interest in mind? How exhausting. Some of my earliest recollections of my mom giving me advice surround the topic of food. Up until about 15 years ago, Connie was a yo-yo dieter who would be willing to try any new diet trend that came along. These diets were always effective in the short-term, but she found it very difficult to keep the weight off. She enjoys both the preparation and indulgence in great food. Once she told me that she was half bulimic, she said that she had the binge part down, but couldn’t seem to participate in the purge part. Thus, life lesson number two: never diet, don’t skip breakfast, eat only until you are no longer hungry and enjoy the taste of healthy food. Eat in moderation.
I have always been a bit of a sun worshiper and I can recall lying on the dock like a roast of beef, with a 15 minute timer set indicating the time I was meant to flip. Connie would casually come down to visit, donning a large brimmed hat and long sleeved t-shirt, to say “You might feel healthier tanned, but in reality you are going to have alligator skin by the time you are twenty.” Lesson number three, moisturize.
Life lesson number four: do not be afraid to get older, age is only a number. Connie is a beautiful, vibrant, strong, balanced woman who does not hide the fact that she will turn 66 on June 6, 2010. In fact, she is somewhat proud of this fact and is the first to take offense when she is not offered the senior discount at Safeway. She is honest with herself and knows how much work it takes to be healthy at 66. She does daily Thai Chi, wogs (this is the word she uses to describe how she combines walking with running) for 30-40 minutes every day and also enjoys aqua fit classes four or five times a week. Connie will be participating in the 5km Mother’s day race with my brother Rob as her Mother’s day present to herself. I am so proud of her. I am grateful to have such an amazing role model, as I embark on this unexplored frontier of thought and emotion called motherhood. With her guidance and support, I am confident that I too will have such an impact on my children, and only hope to be as influential on my children as Connie has been on me. You go girl!
Happy Mother’s Day!