5 Life Affirming Things My Mother Taught Me

by Diane Steinbach

My mother was a joy. She was funny, creative, loving and giving. We didnt always get along, especially as I entered those teenage years, and then again, when I went from one bad boyfriend-choice to another, but she always had an affable way about her that meant I could always come back no matter what was said.

I was crushed... beyond words when she died after a 2 year battle with cancer.

Even during her battle she had a sense of humor. She loved life, and although she only had 2 children, my sister and I, she also had a foster son for a short while, and wished she could have had more.
It was not to be.

However...her light shone brightly and even before I looked around that crowded church when we all said our final goodbyes I knew her life touched many.

She had hoped to share her special ways... her sense of humor, her joy of life, with others, and so it is with that thought that I share with you all some bits of wisdom she taught me.

1. Always have fun with what you are doing. If you are smiling and having fun, that fun will be contagious. People who see you, will begin to feel better and happier even if they are blue.  Share your happiness.
2. Reach out to others.  If you see someone who looks lost or confused, try to help. Even if you don't know the answer, two confused people feel stronger and less afraid than one confused person. You will make a friend for life, or at the very least help alleviate the stress from someone in that very scary moment.
3. Don't try to be the center of attention. Step back and let others sparkle. The satisfaction you get when you support your friends and watch them succeed ...well, that is better than being the center of attention yourself.
4. Be a caretaker to living things. Always stop to help out an injured animal or stop someone from hurting any living thing. Life is energy, and energy is all around us. We are all caretakers of nature and should treat all life with respect.
5. Love freely. Always return love given to you, and give love to those who need it. Love is free and heals our souls. It is the light within you...let it shine.

A Message and A Prayer from Treasuring Grace

I hope you are enjoying Treasuring Grace and have laughed through the first two chapters.  Rob with his witty way of writing helps keep the story light and humorous.

 

Many of you know that Treasuring Grace is inspired by a dream.  On the morning of October 19, 2007 I awoke from a vivid dream.  It was as if I were watching a movie.  I got up and jotted down the main ideas while they were still fresh in my mind.  I felt compelled to share the message of the dream with others.

 

Thanks to the collaboration with Rob Plumley, the first copy of Treasuring Grace was printed exactly 3 years after the date of the dream.  Coincidence?  I don't believe so!

 

Enjoy reading,

Tracy

 

A prayer from St. Teresa of Avila

 

Lord,

 

Grant that I may always allow myself to be guided by you, always follow your plans, and perfectly accomplish your will.  Grant that in all things, great and small, today and all the days of my life, I may do whatever you require of me.

 

Help me to respond to the slightest prompting of your grace, so that I may be a trustworthy instrument for your honor.  May your will be done in time and in eternity - by me, in me, and through me.

 

Amen

 

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Mother's Day ~ a day to celebrate life, a day to celebrate Mothers!

This day may bring mixed emotions for many.

Maybe, it is approached with unfulfilled expectations, sorrow over past mistakes, but also joy in the present.
The could haves and should haves linger in our mind.

It is best said in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, "Perhaps he might have spent the rest of his life in weeping over this one fault; perhaps he might have made this one sin the subject of constant repentance; he might like Magdalen, like Augustine, have made the memory of this fault a motive for more fervent love."

We can let go of the could haves and should haves to embrace the future with faith, hope and love!

"This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

Happy Mother's Day!

Tracy


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