It's the Simple things

I recently read an article about Life's 5 Most Important Lessons. This article deals with people and aging. I find myself relating to this more and more as I take on a bigger role in my mother's life.

Isn't it amazing that at 5 our mothers are perfect? They can make us happy, they can make us smile, they can smooth our hair and kiss away the tears. I'm not sure where she has gone, but in the last 7-10 years my mother has slowly disappeared to be replaced with a woman who is helpless and can't make decisions on her own. It breaks my heart to see her like this. The added weight that she is carrying on her shoulders does not help her - it tends to make her needy. Mr. Potts and I will be spending more time with her to help her draw up a budget that she can live within. We'll be helping her clean out her house in hopes of one day selling it.

I went with her yesterday to help her obtain custody of my niece and nephew. I sat in the office and handed over my credit card while the angels were "writing" letters to their daddy.

Back to the article. When I read this, it really hit home. With everything that is going on in my life, the lives of others I know and for people I don't know, I thought is especially important to share this. The key points I took from this article are below.

1. The simple things matter most.
2. Humor and time cure most pains.
3. There's more satisfaction in giving than getting. Service to others is the most satisfying activity.
4. Choose your spouse carefully. It will be your most important decision.
5. Work hard and in a field or role that you enjoy.

I've begun to chant the first point lately. It seems to have become my mantra. The simple things matter most, the simple things matter most. Sure, we all want happiness and some of the extras in our lives, but what is it that gets us through each day? It is love and happiness. It is the laughter of a small child as their face lights up in love. It is the lazy stretch of my Pepe cat as he is waking up to greet me. It is my happy Hayden and her love of walking with me.

It is my family - whom I love with all my heart. It is my mother - knowing that our roles are reversing and that I will soon become more of a caregiver to her. It is knowing that I can help her - that it may be me smoothing her hair soon and hugging her to help cheer her up.

It is Mr. Potts - my heart. My person who "knows" me. Who "gets" me. Who loves me no matter what.