Need a Pep Talk? It's Mom-isms To The Rescue!

So, as I have mentioned before, my mom has amassed a lot of what my siblings and I have termed "Mom-isms."

What's a Mom-ism? Basically, a saying, motto, quote or such you may or may not be already familiar with but that she claimed as her own and repeats to us as applicable.  So, daily.  Since birth.

Mom-isms even appeared in the form of window clings or handwritten around our house when I was a kid.  Some of them are still hanging. This is for real. (Ask Sarah. She'll vouch for me on this one - she might have made fun of me once or twice for them. But, it wasn't my fault.)

The funny thing though is that the older we get, the less we make fun of her for this and the more we really "get" these messages and also find comfort in them. Life can be hard, and sometimes a few little words is all you need to turn your mood or the day around.

So, in honor of the biggest inspiration in my life, I give you my Mom's best inspirational messages.

"Think negative, get negative. Think positive, get positive."
Sounds so simple, but this one sometimes blows when I try to put it into action. It's so much harder than it sounds. I seem to get stuck in this track of negativity where it's hard to see the positive in a situation.

"I believe in myself."
I am a rockstar. Repeating this one works too, but it's just a souped up version of what Mom always told me. Especially after we become parents, it's important to repeat this beautiful mantra to remember that we are doing the best we can and man, that's good!

"Trust that life is good, even when it hurts."
But, it hurts. How can it be good? We've been there - probably many times at this point in our lives. At the end of the day, sucky things happen in life. But, in general, it is pretty darn good. Most of the time.

"No stinkin' thinkin'."
Love you, Mom. And, yes, I'll clean up my brain.

"When God closes one door, He opens a window."
Sometimes that next door isn't automatically opened, but at least a window is opened so we can catch a glimmer of what's around the corner. What can carry us through and get us to the next phase of our lives.

"What goes around, comes around."
A more traditional version of "karma's a bitch." But, it's true, isn't it?!

"Open your eyes and look."
Duh. I feel like this one has to be in every Mom's repertoire. And, seriously, could children (and their Daddies, sometimes) be any more blind? How often I want to scream, "OPEN YOUR EYES!"

"Keep it simple."
What a beautiful way to live and to parent.  We like this one a lot. Hence the name of our blog.

There is nothing like Mom's wisdom. (Or her chicken soup, but that's another post for another day). If I end this life being one-third the parent she has been, I am a wild success.

Passing on wisdom to the next generation.
This one was "Playing in the rain is fun!"