I daughtered on Saturday. I drove my Mom to complete her normal weekend errands. It was quite an adventure. We stopped at 4 different grocery stores. Each with a different list of items because you cannot get meat from just any store according to my Mom. I, on the other hand, typically buy all my groceries from one place. Target. I love the ability to get grapes, a cute journal and light bulbs all from one stop. Note: I prefer to shop online then open my front door and my groceries to be perfectly positioned at my doormat waiting to be put away. 

The second to last stop had trouble with the air conditioning. It was 90 degrees in Louisiana on Saturday afternoon. I started to feel overheated. My Mom said the same. I headed to the checkout looking for an ice cold water to hydrate. I checked all the lines and all refrigerators containing cold drinks. The choices were Fanta, Red Bull, Gatorade and Coke. Not one cold bottle of water was available in the store. Surprised by the lack of water but also not surprised at the same time. I settled with Gatorade. 

Once my Mom got in the car I selected parent’s home as the destination. However, I was then told we had to get gas before going home. I was a bit confused. Seeing that we had ¾ of a tank, more than enough gas needed to get home. Why do we have to get gas now in 90 degree weather when we are BOTH exhausted? My Mom prefers to get gas from Sam’s Club. It is less expensive. We were already close to Sam’s which is twenty minutes away from my parent’s home. I headed to Sam’s Club on Siegen Lane.

Even though my Mom had declared that she was hot and tired, she was able to keep going anyway. Just keep swimming. One of the most significant moments from the animated movie Finding Nemo was Dory telling her new friend Nemo to just keep swimming. The idea of just keep swimming gives us the hope we need to achieve the goal, to finish strong, and to persevere through the hard times. My Mom is a real life illustration of “Just keep swimming.” She has trials and tribulations in her life, yet she doesn’t give up. She just keeps swimming. I am incredibly thankful for the lessons that I have learned by simply being in her presence.

XOXO

Lesson: Prototype. Noun. The original or model on which something is based or formed. 

Question: What lessons have you learned by watching the actions of your Mother?