Moo~The best mother in the world!
๐
~A Message for Children and Mothers Everywhere~
Keep Flirting with Life!
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You are Worthy and You Belong
There she is--our 'Moo'--the best mother in the world with her signature smile, sparkling eyes, and her fun, flirty, and kind nature.
From our youngest days, my mother taught us that life, humans and animals were to be treated kindly and made to feel they belonged in the 'Meyerott Menagerie'. Through the years we watched as she engaged and welcomed everyone into her life and our home.
Through my mother's loving leadership we came to believe 'I am worthy', 'I am loved', and 'I belong'.
Moo was a natural flirt who used flirting as a way to engage people. With her 'good Catholic girl' upbringing she had no fear she'd 'step over the line' when flirting with men. It wasn't about being sexy. She flirted with everyone--young and old, male and female, human and animal.
Flirting--or light banter--was just what you did to engage others and make them feel they were important and a worthy part of the tribe.
The way to Deal with Life and Strife is with a Sense of Humor
My mother used to say she raised 'all Chiefs and no Indians', when referring to her tribe of six independent children.
This very proper, self-described 'fifth generation Washingtonian' from the District of Columbia raised six California wild cats while keeping a clean house--and most importantly--her sense of humor.
My son related to my mother's good humor by saying 'I'm from your side of the family---the enjoying side of the family'.
My son related to my mother's good humor by saying 'I'm from your side of the family---the enjoying side of the family'.
Thanks to my mother, I learned to deal with life and strife with a sense of humor--and that has made all the difference in getting through the more difficult challenges of life.
Laughter IS the Best Medicine
My mother would often say 'laughter is the best medicine', and she'd
demonstrate the truth of that belief daily as she sought to find the humor in
situations and respond to trying life situations with laughter.
I am so grateful to have learned the importance of keeping my sense of humor no matter what the situation from her.
I still
remember the night my father was out of town on business one beautiful
summer evening when my siblings and I stayed out late playing
kick-the-can in the neighborhood. Our mother called and called us to come home
but not one of us answered.
When we
finally dragged our tails home she was hopping mad and promised a
spanking for us all. As she herded us into the back bedroom to carry out
the punishment, children wandered this way and that into other
bedrooms and bathrooms on their way to their predictable single swat on the
rear end.
Finally
herding us into one room she lined us up by age to spank us in order from
oldest to youngest. My oldest sister got the first swat on the behind,
followed by my older brother. My mother burst out laughing as soon as her hand
connecting with his rear made a metallic pinging noise .
On his way to his swat-on-the-behind my brother had stopped at the sewing machine to grab the metal lid off the sewing tin so he could stuff it in his pants to thwart the whack. My mother's surprised laughter relieved the tension of the moment--and the rest of us got off scott-free.
On his way to his swat-on-the-behind my brother had stopped at the sewing machine to grab the metal lid off the sewing tin so he could stuff it in his pants to thwart the whack. My mother's surprised laughter relieved the tension of the moment--and the rest of us got off scott-free.
The Care and Feeding of Future Leaders
Moo was the mother of all mothers. She knew how to bring out the best in everyone. She was a mother to all--and her legacy of extending love, kindness and compassion towards all lives on in me.
One of the greatest gifts she passed on to me was showing me how to raise my own children keeping my sense of humor through the difficult times, and honoring and respecting the unique differences and strengths of each one.
Moo was the mother of all mothers. She knew how to bring out the best in everyone. She was a mother to all--and her legacy of extending love, kindness and compassion towards all lives on in me.
One of the greatest gifts she passed on to me was showing me how to raise my own children keeping my sense of humor through the difficult times, and honoring and respecting the unique differences and strengths of each one.
My mother taught us the keys to raising future independent leaders:
๐Don't
try to control them--find ways to catch their attention instead.
๐Love
and support their independence and individuality.
๐Enjoy
and respect them.
๐Keep
your sense of humor.
No matter how frustrated you may get trying to herd a group of independent children (or adults), know that to accomplish the impossible task of leading them the key is to accept and respect the individuals for who they are and to find a way to enjoy the challenge of engaging their attention.
I thank the best mother in the world for providing me such a positive perspective!
Go On...Get Out There and Keep Flirting with Life!
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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before.
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