Happy Mothers Day all!

For Mother’s Day, I surprised my Mom by sending her a MOM’S PEARLS OF WISDOM”, from 1-800-flowers.

A wisdom basket is simply an arrangement of flowers, that I guess, resembles something you’d see on a wise persons desk or table.

No better person, or Mom, to receive than Carol Palangi. (My Amazing Momma!)

When my Mom called shortly after receiving her flowers, she commented, “You’re good kid…. how’d you ever remember ‘Gardenia’s?”

I truthfully said, “Uhm, actually Mom, I’m not that good… I just saw all the arrangements, and thought, “Wisdom Arrangement?, oh yeah! That’s for my Mom for sure!”

So we got to talking, and it went like this:

“Well mom, it’s like this: I have a life that few men get to enjoy….

I’m healthy…

I love absolutely love what I do…

I love where I live…

I love my clients…

I love who I get to be when I wake up in the morning…

I even love the problems that I get to solve…

and… even when I (rarely) get down in the dumps… I love snapping myself out of it, and getting back on the proverbial horse, and remembering what my life is for:

MY LIFE IS FOR OTHER PEOPLE.”

I could hear my moms tears when she said, “Thank you so much hun, that’s so nice for you to say… when are you coming to visit?” lol!

And it’s 100% true.

When I think of what it takes to be the kind of mom that produces kids… kids who become adults like me, I think of this:

HOW TO BE A GREAT MOM…

1) Don’t let your kids quit stuff. (teach em that it’ll become a negative cycle. Sit with them until they “get it”, tell em they can quit after they’ve finished an agreement, but not before. Don’t theorize about “one day you’ll realize… etc” (kids hate logic), simply say “The Palangi’s are not quitters. We don’t quit. That’s what makes us different than the neighbors, and what makes you distinct from other kids. I request you finish what you start.” and be done with it. The silent power from this “matter-of-fact” way of being will stick with your kids for life, or at least much longer than an “aww honey, it’s okay… here’s a piece of cheese and a cookie, now, tell me why all the teachers are meanines…” etc.)

2) Don’t meddle in their affairs. (Watch em close… but STOP putting your “hands on the ball”. Let em figure it out. Let em screw up; observe, ask “what you get from all that?” then hug em, and find the humor in pitfalls. If you’re too tempted to be in your kids bidnezz… get a hobby so they don’t think you’re a whacko.)

3) BE A MOM OF ACTION! (I rarely ever saw my mom being a slacker… a gossiper… or an un-powerful woman — EVER!  I’m sure there were times when Momma Palangi had doubts; how we’d make it; where we’d be; what was next… and so on… but she never let on. My mom ALWAYS behaved in a way where I knew things were just the way they should be, and that ACTION was always the antidote to “circumstances.”)

4) Listen more…. talk less. My mom does, and when I was a kid, did “talk” to me and/or at me… but what stands out for me now, is how much I witnessed her LISTENING to other people (wish I got this from her, but I’m working on it) MY MOTHER NEVER INTERRUPTED PEOPLE! This has got to be why she gets along with all different types of people, is held in high regard in her community, her career, and in all the little networks in her life. Momma P does in fact have her “opinions”… but she’ll get yours, long before you know hers. And Mom does that because she is a masterful listener.

5) Speak ONLY good of people. This includes: Family members, friends, people of all walks, races, and creed, and do all this… especially when everyone else is doing the opposite! (My mom never bashed people. Hindsight, there were times when labeling, judging, and the typical human behaviors of drama-filled soccer moms were justifiable. But my mom ALWAYS took the high road!

I’m convinced the above 5 points  is why I have a deep respect for ALL women… regardless of how many of you ladies refuse to do all the push-ups, squats, or crunches, (LOL!) or even when you gals emotionally eat your way out of life’s little challenges!

At all times… my mom’s voice is saying “You be nice to girls, honey!”

Hope you enjoyed, have an awesome MOTHERS DAY!