What life lessons did you learn from your mom? With Mother’s Day near, we want to honor all moms, past and present, and what they taught us.

For me (Doug), this will be a deeply personal column because my mother, Althea Nodland, passed away peacefully last week at home with us. Where does one start in honoring someone who has graced this earth for over 107 years? Our column is called Sharing Life’s Lessons. Perhaps sharing some of the life lessons our family has learned from my mom would be a start.

My parents were hard-working Iowa farmers. Mom was involved in the farm work, including, in the later farming years, driving the huge, air-conditioned combine to harvest the grain. The picture of her doing that is in stark contrast to her feminine beauty and sense of style.

Mom was often asked, “To what do you attribute your longevity?” She would hesitate, and then say, “I always stay busy doing something.” Mom had a work ethic that was “off the charts”. She rarely took time to watch TV. She always found things to keep herself occupied and she was never bored.

Also, her faith in God was very important to her. She read the Bible on a regular basis. She kept notes she took from sermons, or religious writings that were particularly meaningful to her.

She valued her family and friends. She could easily get rid of “things” to avoid clutter, but she treasured letters and cards from those she cared about and saved them forever. When we started going through some of the boxes she had, they included love letters from my dad from before they were married; letters from me to my parents from college, law school and into adulthood; and cards from her granddaughter from the time she was very young to the present time.

Mom was very resilient. She lived through the pandemic of 1918, which killed her older sister, the depression years, and the uncertainties of farming. Almost 31 years ago to the day of her passing, she lost the love of her life, her husband, She also survived colon cancer and outlived two pacemakers!. Even at the end, she would say, “Tomorrow will be better.”

She was fiercely independent, living on her own until until she was 103. She believed in self-care, such as eating a proper diet, exercising (she often took the stairs to her third-floor apartment into her 90’s). She put moisturizer on her face every day without fail. Until the end she would always ask us, “Are you drinking enough water?”

She was always interested in trying something new. She learned to swim well in her late 60’s and took Tai Chi in her 90’s. She also stayed by herself in Florida for three months in her 90’s and enjoyed water aerobics while there.

Music was an important part of Mom’s life. She was unique in that she could read music and also “play by ear”. In other words, she could hear a song once and immediately play it on the piano. When she was 100 she played “Maple Leaf Rag” and “Alley Cat” in a talent show and received a standing ovation. People still talk about her performance that night.

Lynn and I shared a few lessons lived by my mom, including: strong work-ethic, importance of faith, value of family and friends, resiliency, importance of self-care, you’re never too old to try something new, and share your talent.

What about you? What lessons did you learn from your mom or caregiver?

We were both blessed to have had loving moms and we learned valuable life lessons from them. With Mother’s Day coming soon, we want to make this a tribute to not only our moms, but all moms. We hope you have/had a loving mom or caregiver who’s like a mom to you. If your mom didn’t teach you all the life lessons you need, know that she gave you the gift of life and ability to continue the learning. We encourage you to think about the wise life lessons you can take forward that help you make decisions and navigate your life road.

If you are presently a mom, know that your job is most important. You are shaping attitudes and lives. You make a difference in the world. Congratulations to our moms, past and present. Know that however long we have you here on earth, is never long enough. And yes, we’ll remember the life lessons you taught us and always to “drink enough water”.

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2020 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.