It’s Mother’s Day. My mom has been gone for 27 years, but I use every day the things that she gave me. Maybe that is what the day is all about: Honoring and thanking moms for what they give us. To honor them most completely, we can share with others those good things.  Three, in particular, come to mind for my mom.

Love

Unconditional. Whether I was an angel or a brat at the moment, I knew I was loved. Whether she was having a good day or a bad day, I knew I was loved. Her epitaph reads “A tender mother and a faithful friend” because of how she loved her kids.

Laughter

The benefits of laughter comprise an extensive list of positives. Laughing with others makes the inevitable tears of life more tolerable. Mom laughed at good jokes, childish play, funny books (“The Egg and I” always had her in tears of laughter) and…life. She laughed with life despite the many challenges life presented her.

Wisdom

Mom was wise in many ways. She shared wisdom gleaned from life’s experiences through stories and conversations. Her wisdom borne in experiences and her wisdom developed through discernment are assets that I access to this day because she shared it. Wisdom should be shared.

There were other gifts, like patience, which she needed a lot of with me, but love, laughter and wisdom stand out as things that shaped me and as the things I hope to share with others.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you. Happy Mother’s Day, mom; miss you still and always.