Becky Good, Judy’s mom
Things I Learned from My Mom
My mother recently passed away from cancer and her life was a great testimony to me. She was the wisest teacher I ever had. She had 72 years of wisdom to pass on to any who would learn, and some pretty good marriage and life lessons from being married to my dad almost 51 years.
Since I am so very proud of my mom, I would like to share some things that I’ve learned from her in my life. Now you see the other end of the spectrum of life from the things Sherri wrote about learning from a 2 year old. Well, maybe they aren’t so different after all.
1. You never ‘back-talk’ or as my Jerzee friends says ‘get fresh’ with your momma. I did it once and remember her reaction well….a hand quickly and firmly smacked my mouth and face and I then looked at her in disbelief! She had never hit me in my mouth…sure, plenty of times on my rear-end, but she must have known how well the shock appeal of this disciplinary action would work. It did the trick on me. Not sure what mom did to my sister for the same problem…whatever it was it took longer to have an effect though.
2. You make a commitment; you keep it. I learned this when I wanted to quit the church softball team I was on because we were awful and winless. Mom said “Oh no, you are not going to quit!!! You play, you have fun…win or lose. Do you need any further motivation?” I replied “no m’am!” So I stayed on the team and ended up having a good time even though we were really pitifull!
3. You do your best, no matter what, even if you come in last or get a low grade. You can’t control how hard other people try but you can certainly make sure that you give your very best at any endeavor you strive to do.
4. One of a woman’s greatest thrills in life is shoe shopping. A good deal on a pair of shoes gives an adrenadine boost like no other….and if you don’t get a good deal then they better be the most ‘make em stop dead in their tracks’ beautiful shoes that are worth every penny of the $$$ you paid for them! Never pass by a shoe store that has a buy-one get-one-free sale! I guess you have to be a female to understand all this. But it is a very important concept of female life to know about.
5. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Even if everyone else does, you should know how it feels and resist the temptation to do this. Enough said. This is a hard lesson to learn and put in practice but it will pay dividends you never imagined when you do!
6. Be strong and courageous even when you don’t feel like it. And the way you do this is to draw strength from the LORD. He said he would never leave or forsake us and has sent his spirit as a helper. So use it. It takes courage to face many things in life.
7. Do unto others as Jesus would do to them–and it doesn’t matter if you never get anything in return for doing so. And it is so fun to do random acts of kindness. But no matter how you interact with others, put a smile on your face and let them know you have a reason to smile!!
8. If at all possible, keep your foot away from your mouth–it is entirely possible for it to end up in your mouth and you will most certainly regret it. Stop and think before you speak is a good rule to use.
9. Faith in God is the greatest resource you can have in this life, the hardest thing to explain to others, and the simplest act that provides eternal benefits. Without faith, we have no strength, without strength we have no endurance, without endurance the prize cannot be obtained.
10. Honesty, open-mindedness. loyalty, and laughter are the cornerstones of any good relationship. They don’t just happen, it takes work to cultivate them and help a friendship grow. And we should be friends with our family because that is what God intended.
11. Realize your blessings and give thanks for them and for goodness sakes, share them with others!!!. For there is always something to be thankful for if you look hard enough.
These are just a few lessons that come to mind that I feel like I have been taught by my wonderful mother in the 47 years we had together. I think that by knowing these truths about life, my mother helped prepare me to face life head on and with a confidence that can only be instilled by love. I thank God for her influence, wisdom, and most of all her love that make me feel I was the luckiest girl in the world to have Becky Good as my mom!!!
If your mom is still alive, give her a hug. If she doesn’t live close by, call her up and give her a hug over the phone. And for heavens’ sake…don’t text it to her…let her hear it!
If your mom has passed on, tell someone how much she meant to you, and thank the Lord for the blessing of the time you had with her!!
One of my mom’s pastor’s quoted this verse of Keats as a remembrance of my mom: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”. And I for one say a big AMEN about my mom in that regard!!!
In memory of my mother, Becky Good, 1938-2010
Judy Hensley
