We know that moms serve as the light of the family, the roar that keep everyone on their toes (hello, Tiger Moms), the gentle hands that touch lives and hearts, the hugger who makes everyone feel loved and secure, the kisser who takes away all the pains and boo-boos and the wind beneath the wings.

Being a mom does not limit itself to having biological children. Moms can take different forms and shapes: the aunt who takes care of the young ones, the teacher who treats her students as her own, the doctors and nurses in medical uniforms who take care of our sick children, the nanny who leaves her family behind to take care of other people’s children and the humans who give unconditional love to their furry pets.

Everyday is a Mother’s Day, according to some, and yes, in our hopes and dreams, we say that prayer to all the moms who go through different ordeals and life hardships. They truly are the ones who bear the burden of the family’s hurdles.

My wish for all the moms out there: fortitude, understanding, infinite love and positive energy.

My posts re Mother’s Day: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.

• turning off electrical appliances that are not in use to save on electric bill
• turning off the faucet when not in use, wise use of water, reuse is possible to save on water, a very precious commodity
• home-cooked food is not only cheaper than dining out, it could be healthier
• being healthy to avoid getting sick
• buying only the things one needs, and not the things one wants
• work harder ( like get better grades, help in house chores) in exchange for something you want your parents to buy for you
• planning chores/errands to save time

It helps too that they know about financial planning (budgeting, balancing maybe even about investing, fidelity bond insurance and insurance benefits later on), foresight on future financial capabilities or lack of it and other skills that they would definitely need in the future to avoid filing for Chapter 7.

We used to have a lot of these LP on my father’s stereo stand. I even remember sets that my mom ordered from Reader’s Digest. Just this week, Twitter conversation with friends was about stereos and LPs.

I distinctly remember that unique sound that stereos and their needles make before the music is played. How wonderful it was back then to enjoy music being played. (maybe because you paid for the LPs (and cassettes too)

How did you children spend summer vacation?

Did they enrol in enrichment programs like visual and performing arts and sports? Did they enrol in academic achievement programs to prepare them better for next school year?

No matter what the children did or still do for this summer vacation, we make these days memorable for the whole family to look back to in the future.

Some are:

• art kits which include lacing materials as well as beads for bead work art (I wish these were Ocean Fossil Jasper beads though and not the plastic ones, lol)
• storybooks I have forgotten about
• school supplies like crayons, pencils, scissors and glue (it hardened already, argh)
• toys that needed a lot of cleaning

Some children will be happy using these art kits for our arts and craft activities for the remaining summer days.

Decluttering takes us back down memory lane. I know because I did that with the home library and though it was hard to get rid of things I haven’t used, I had to do it mercilessly.

“I don’t want to grow old yet, if only I can turn back the clock, I would have lived a healthier lifestyle, enjoyed bonding with my children when they were still young and did things I would regret not doing now that I can’t do these anymore.”

When one is at a stage in their lives that they feel they should have done more things when they were still able to, you know it is a wake-up call for you too. I remember reading something about “when you are young you are too busy making money that you tend to forget about taking care of your health and when you have enough money, you spend it to help yourself live longer and be healthy”. Not the exact gist but something like it.

I know for some, they’d rather be healthy even if they are not young anymore so they can still choose about whether to spend swimming or hiking during weekend without having to think about reading the latest novatest review.

I found this article offering good tips on how to enjoy life when one is younger. For me though, these life lessons can still be applied no matter what age. I wrote several topics on how to be better in terms of:

• Spend Time Wisely
• Be Thankful
• Life Lessons for my Children
• Time Management
• Reflections
• Hug Your Child
• Go Slow

Easier said than done, I know, but if we don’t want to have regrets in life later on, we should start doing what is right and what is proper when we are still young