#LessonsFromMom

[harmonyhealinghub]

The Final Gift Shaina Tranquilino November 19, 2024

Mrs. Dodds sat in her sun-dappled room, the soft rustle of leaves outside her window mingling with the distant laughter of children playing in the park. The crisp scent of autumn drifted in, carrying with it a sense of both endings and new beginnings. She traced her fingers over the worn leather cover of the gratitude journal, its pages already filled with words that shimmered with meaning.

Her hands, now thin and mapped with blue veins, trembled slightly as she tied the pale blue ribbon around the journal’s spine. It was her final gift, one that could not be wrapped in shiny paper or topped with a bow. It held no jewels, no heirlooms, but it was rich in the currency of her life’s lessons, woven from moments both joyful and bittersweet.

The first entry was simple: To my beloved family, who has been the light on my darkest paths, this is my story and my wish for you to carry on with hearts full of love and gratitude. Mrs. Dodds smiled, recalling the day she’d written that line. It was the day after she received the news that her illness was advancing, a shadow spreading where light once thrived. Yet, rather than succumb to despair, she had found herself reaching for her journal, determined to transform sorrow into a legacy of hope.

Each page was a portrait of her life — the struggles of raising three children on her own after her husband passed, the laughter-filled chaos of family dinners, the quiet mornings when the world was just waking and she’d sip tea in the garden. She wrote of lessons in resilience and forgiveness, of the small kindnesses that ripple into great ones, and the peace that comes from letting go.

One entry, dated only a month prior, read: Remember, my dears, the sun rises even after the longest, darkest nights. When life burdens you, pause and look around. Find one thing, even if small, to be grateful for, and hold onto it. It will steady you.

As evening fell, casting the room in hues of gold and deep shadow, her daughter Claire arrived. The same chestnut hair, threaded now with silver, framed her mother’s face as she leaned down to kiss her. In that moment, Mrs. Dodds felt the gravity of time bending around them — the child who once clung to her leg now stood with the strength of a grown woman, eyes filled with unspoken worry.

“Mom, you look tired. Should I come back tomorrow?”

Mrs. Dodds squeezed her daughter’s hand. “No, stay. There’s something I want you to have.” She placed the journal into Claire’s hands, her touch lingering. Claire’s eyes widened as she felt its weight and the warmth that seemed to pulse from its cover.

“What is this?” Claire asked, flipping open to a random page. She read aloud, her voice trembling: Be grateful not only for what you have, but for what you are able to give. In giving, we find our truest selves.

A silence hung between them, heavy but not sad. The journal was more than a gift; it was a bridge between moments past and those yet to come.

Tears welled in Claire’s eyes. “Mom, this is beautiful.”

Mrs. Dodds smiled, her eyes, though weary, alight with the contentment of knowing her essence would carry forward, wrapped in the memories and teachings inscribed in each line. “Promise me, love, you’ll share it. With your brothers, with your children. And remember, life isn’t measured by the great moments alone but by the small, fleeting ones that slip by unnoticed.”

That night, the journal passed from hands that had weathered life’s storms to hands eager to cradle its wisdom. As Mrs. Dodds closed her eyes, a profound peace settled over her. She knew that while her journey on this earth was drawing to a close, the gratitude she cultivated would ripple outwards, living on in those she cherished.

And long after the first snowfall blanketed the earth and the seasons turned, Claire and her brothers would gather, journal in hand, reading aloud the lessons their mother left behind, each word an ember of warmth, reminding them to cherish each day, just as she had.

[lorene1voice]

I finished making #inari #sushi for the office #potluck #workfamily #SurreyBC #TrueSurrey #SurreyEats #food #foodie #foodphotography #foodstagram #foodoftheday #lessonsfrommom #obachan #family #JapaneseCanadian #tradition https://www.instagram.com/p/BnGFZ9ull76/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ua36zdgwx3fp

[amlitlover]

Mother’s Day barnyard lesson

"The People who won't do hard things, when they ought to, have the hardest times in the end. Wish I'd minded my mother and eaten gravel when she told me to, and I'm not going to let you be as foolish as I was." https://americanliterature.com/author/clara-dillingham-pierson/short-story/the-chicken-who-wouldnt-eat-gravel

[wtnresearch]

#LessonsFromMom: If speaking kindly to plants helps them grow, imagine what speaking kindly to people will do. #TBT #MumAndDad #BeforeKids #1970s #SanFrancisco #RumAndToast https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv0xJ_IHB3B/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2xxysv5victb

[welcomehomejane1]

My mom had a unbelievable ability to spot a beautiful piece of art in a pile of junk and turn it into something so beautiful and unique. This fish was fixing broken at an estate sale and most people would have walked right by... not my mom. She bought it and like the Japanese Kinsukuroi tradition of fixing broken pottery with a gold resin, my mom fixed him, adding bamboo poles and it was truly one of the favorite pieces I have from her. She has been gone almost two years now and not a day goes by when I don’t think of the value she placed on brokenness and the belief that broken can be beautiful again. I miss you everyday Mom❤️ #heaven #wheredowegonext #loveher #missyoumom #lessonsfrommom #shabbychicdecor #upcycledvintage #shabbychic #bamboo

[labrisaphoto]

5 things I learned from my mom... 1. The contagious power of positivity. 2. Energy and enthusiasm are the main factors to overcoming life’s varied circumstances. 3. Always dress to impress. 4. Feeding people is the 6th love language. 5. Excuses never justify your actions. I love you mom! You continue teaching me so much! Thanks for being the best mom to me and A-Ma to Paxton! Happy Mother’s Day!!! #LaBrisaPhotography #paxtonhsieh #lessonsfrommom #mom (at La Brisa Photography)

[jadeamber14]

Taught by Mama...���� #JCDiaries #lessonsfrommom #momsadviceisalwaysthebest

[mylittlecozycorner]

What I learned today

Teach girls bravery, not perfection It was a ted talk: http://goo.gl/uREIvP

Most girls are taught to be perfect and avoid failure and risk. I hope I don’t do that to you. I want you to be brave and comfortable with failing and learning. Life is trial and error and it’s the path you have come so far that defines you, not the point you are standing right now. Love,

Ma

[lorene1voice]

First course is soup with hakurei (from @ubcfarm ) and kelp. Next course is baked salmon with dill and lemon. #SurreyEats #SurreyBC #TrueSurrey #food #foodie #foodstagram #foodofinstagram #homecooking #lessonsfrommom

[dee0allsortsofthoughts-blog]

Mom says, "laugh baby girl because when life gets hard, you'll get tougher, and it's about to get real hard. Don't be an idiot, keep caring people close to you and find them everywhere you go so when you're down, they can make you laugh again." #lessonslearned #lessonsfrommom #nofilter #lithuania #1990

[jadeamber14]

You don't need everyone to love you, Just a few good people. #JCDiaries #lessonsfrommom #simplereminders💯 #sundayvibes✨