I recently sat in the sand at the beach and watched my mom chase my 19-month-old son around. They played with the seaweed, jumped in puddles, and transferred sand in buckets from one pile to another. It was a beautiful sight to see, and it made me think back to all of the fun and silly things I got to do with my mom. And I’m not just talking about when I was a kid. You see, I got lucky…I have a mom who knows how to be silly.
Is that a good thing, you ask? The answer is a resounding YES! There is nothing better than a mom who knows how to be silly, and I’ll tell you why. I personally believe that it takes a truly loving heart to be silly. To see each moment in life as something to be cherished and enjoyed. To see everything as a resource to help you create an adventure. To not let all of the challenges of life take away your ability to see the world with a childlike wonder. It’s a beautiful thing, and a mom that can be silly fosters silly kids who know how to not only enjoy life, but seize opportunity. And that’s the gift my mom gave me.
Imagine waking up to a note with breakfast that simply gives a clue. Where does the clue lead? Well, that’s the fun of it, right? You follow the clue to another clue, and that leads to another. Finally, after an hour of clue deciphering, hunting and giggles you find the treasure; it’s an actual treasure chest with fun little jewels in it. Who knew that when you woke up that morning you would get to go on a treasure hunt? What I didn’t realize at the time was that it was so much more than a treasure hunt. I was making wonderful memories with my parents. I was learning how to use my mind, learning the patience to follow the clues, learning to use the ordinary things around us to create a story. These are all tools I use today in my business, and I wake up each morning knowing that my mom played a big part in how I see the world today.
As a relatively new parent, with a 19-month-old son and a daughter on the way, I have come to appreciate the enormously wonderful influence my mom has had on my life. I mean sure we’ve had our little fights, and I am sure that some of my teenage years were a nightmare for her, but at almost 34, we still hold hands on walks sometimes. What more could you ask for than a love like that? And I not only get to see that her wonderfully silly heart still shines bright with my children, I get to be that silly mom, too.
Now I get to be the one who puts together scavenger hunts, plays tent, and chases my children on the beach. I get to instill in my children the skills and confidence that my mom did, and if I’m lucky, I will do it with a fraction of the grace and love that mom had, and still has.
So as we celebrate this year’s Mother’s Day…I would like to take a moment to thank my mom for being silly, and for having a heart so full of love that it spilled over into my life and filled my heart.
And to all the other mothers out there, you are truly a gift. You give so much, and your love and tenderness does not go unnoticed. So continue to see the world with the childlike wonder, recognize those beautiful little moments, and let yourself be a little silly. Your children will thank you for it later.
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Dana Malstaff is the Founder of Expand Your Reach, which helps entrepreneurs and small business owners create a content strategy and translate their skills and experience into tangible and virtual content.
Follow her on Twitter: @DanaMalstaff
