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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 09/05/2008 : 02:37:54 AM
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One of my besses friends lost his mother one year ago. It is so hard to lose the outward love of your mama, but there is always the legacy of knowledge that your mother has left you with. To help cheer up my friend at this hard time, please share with us lessons that your mama taught you.
Mine taught me to live with gusto. That really is a hard lesson to learn. She did not learn it herself until she was diagnosed with colon cancer and told she had 6 months to live. Well, she was always a bit hard headed and she lived 3 years after that, but brother, did she learn to live.
She taught me that if you have an itch, scratch it. If she wanted ice cream from the Zip-Z Ice Cream Sundae Bar, then she would get it. If she wanted to go fishing, she would be waiting in our driveway for Paul to wake up and go with her. She taught me to sing, sing, sing, even if you nomo good voice. It is the joy inside that makes good singing. She taught me that everything happens for a reason. She reasoned she got sick and was dying that would get my dad into church at last. She was right. He also quit drinking the day she was diagnosed with cancer. She taught me to stay out of debt. That was another hard lesson to learn. She taught me never be afraid to work hard and to learn. She went to nursing school when I was in high school and graduated top of her class. She taught me never be too proud to do the lowliest job. She changed bedpans in the hospital without a single complaint. She taught me to cherish comfort. She would take them false teeth out the minute she got home from work.
Most of all, she taught me to love unconditionally. I never could understand why she stayed with my father all those years that he was drinking. He was a horrible father, and I am sure he would have been an equally horrible husband. But she stuck wtih him. The lessons I learned from that is that you don't run away when there is adversity, you stick it out and try to work it out. She taught me that when you love someone it is forever.
I know that is a lesson my friend's mom taught him, too. She taught him to love. She planted the seed of aloha in him and oh how it flourished.
And I have taught my girls that if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Nah, nah. My girls have learned to share aloha, too, and they aren't even aware they do it.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
Edited by - wcerto on 09/05/2008 04:41:59 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2008 : 02:38:58 AM
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| PS: She also taught me to spit on the worm on the hook when you go fishing. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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alika207
Ha`aha`a
USA
1260 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2008 : 4:28:41 PM
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| Right this minute, I can't think of any lessons she taught me about life, but one that I remember very well is that she taught me that "I" is the pronoun you use when you refer to yourself. Everybody was asking me, "Do YOU want this?" "Do YOU want that?" So I used to think my actual name was You and said stuff like, "You want a cookie," meaning that I wanted a cookie. |
He kehau ho'oma'ema'e ke aloha.
'Alika / Polinahe |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2008 : 10:18:50 PM
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| The "Mom Voice" echoes in the back of my head, making me hold my tongue at the right moment, reminding me to say "please" and "thank you" and wipe my feet, clean the lint trap, and keep trying the vegetables that I don't care for. Mom taught me cribbage, pinochle, how to make potatoe dumplings, and her Swedish meatballs with milk gravy (gotcha, Wanda!) Moms are proof that God intended humanity to be a class act. |
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kamalani764
Aloha
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2008 : 02:57:44 AM
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Well, my mom's known for her amazing cooking skills, so the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of lessons my mama tought me is... she tought me how to cook. lol. Well, tried to. I'm still bad at it but oh well. She's still teaching me.
But there are so many life lessons she's tought me. She's tought me that no matter what stands in your way, try your hardest and never give up. She's shown me that even if your life looks like it's down the toilet, keep moving on and keep positive. Don't dwell on the past, because that will get you know where. That's the biggest thing she's tought me, but I kno if I really took a lot of time and thought about it hard, there's a lot of things, simple and deep, that she's tought me. |
Kamalani |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2008 : 07:18:28 AM
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Many of you in Seattle have met my mom, since she moved out this way a couple years ago. Obviously, she taught me insanity. Neither of us can be described as "normal." We like it that way.
She's studying hula now, too. |
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2008 : 10:27:32 AM
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Be honest. Be humble. Be helpful. Have grace in adversity. Her reaction when diagnosed with Alzheimer's: "Well, thank God there's a reason I'm so forgetful and ornery!" Not so sure about my own excuse on that score.  |
MÄlama pono
Ben |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2008 : 10:45:26 AM
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One more Mom-ism: As you climb the ladder of success, Don't let the boys look up your dress.
Not my mom, but I am sure it was someone's mom.
Also: always wear clean underwear; always wash your feet; don't wear holey underwear. If you wear socks with holes in them, your toe will invariably get strangulated by the puka. Do not leave dirty dishes until the next day. Never disturb a bird nest. Do not walk on top of someone's grave. Do not eat green jello. (I do not know why, it was just something she would not do and to this day, I cannot eat green jello). No matter if someone drops in at dinner time. Can always throw another potato in the pot, throw another pork chop in the pan. Can tell how lazy someone is by how thick the potato peel when they peel potatoes. They waste too much potato if the peel is too thick. Also can tell how lazy someone is by if they have nice fingernails. Only people who do no work have nice fingernails.
And listening to how she cooked is why got me in heart trouble. Fried everything. Fried potatoes. Fried chicken. Fried pork chops. Even FRIED APPLE PIES! And she taught me NOT to eat tongue, heart, brains, liver, gizzards and most of all souse meat. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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PoiDog
Lokahi
245 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2008 : 07:19:15 AM
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Mama (Pops, too) waz "One-Timers." Dey oni told you fo do something one-time. If had to tell you someting da 2nd time, one ear goin be little bit mo long dan da uddah.
An da whistle...Mama get dis mean whistle...she could do um loud and not use da fingah. At 5:30 sharp she whistle and you get about 1 minute fo be in da yahd and headed fo da bat-tub. I remembah I was playing ball at da small pahk by my house. I wen crack da ball and was headed fo 1st base. Garantee dat was one home run ball. Befo I wen reach 1st base, I wen hea da whistle...I wen turn around, run back to home plate, pick up my bat an glove and beat feet back to my house. I nevah even tink about trying to stretch da home run!
One nudda time I nevah listen to Mama. She says, ""Wassamatta wit you? You get wax in yo eah or what?" I was getting oldah and whyzah (so I taut) so I said, "Maybe..." Befo I could tink, she wen give me about 5 whacks on my azz wit "da stik"..."Deah," she says. "Whacks on da azz will always get rid of wax in da eah." |
Aloha,
da Poi Dog |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2008 : 07:31:22 AM
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My mama always knew she could get me to cry if she sang me a song called "When Old Shep Was a Pup". Man, just one or two notes and the tears would be falling like rain. Oh, that song just broke my heart. That's why I can't even hardly stand stroies like "The Yearling" or "Misty of Chincoteague" and stuff lidat. I'm a sap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7_s2o4hG2A |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Baritone
Lokahi
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2008 : 6:51:24 PM
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| My mom wen teach me how fo wala au and fo have mau kaukau and fo make ho'okipa. Then, capitalism stepped in...... |
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braddah jay
Lokahi
235 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2008 : 9:18:22 PM
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My mom was a very affectionate person,always a hug or a kiss.Even wrestling with me and even biting me playfully on da head and ears,das wen I would chrow in da towel,"you win ma" It's now been a year since she left,still sowah.One time wen grandpa went fishin,my mom who was 13 year's old wen climb da neighbors fence and take some corn.So wen grandpa came home mom wen ask "daddy you like some corn?" Grandpa said "ya I lob to it corn" So wit corn all over his face get one knock at da door,who dat? Police we have a complaint your kids wen take some corn,wiping da corn from his face saying "wat de corn,pockin kid,leenie" Pfoom ma was out da door up in da tree she goes,ended up sleepin in da tree.Stories lidat make me smile,cause now I know where my kolohe side come from,and you know what? I wrestle wit my boys,and always hugs and kisses.So if and wen your mom leaves,there will be a part of her in you.Thanks everyone for sharing.And thank you wanda,you buggah  |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
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markwitz
`Olu`olu
USA
841 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2008 : 08:14:10 AM
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All I can say is that I was truly blessed by having two wonderful human beings as parents. All my positive attributes come from their lessons and example. All of my failings in life are not because of things they didn't teach me.... it's because I forgot, or chose, for the moment, to put aside what they taught me. My parents are still with me on a daily basis. I find that I very frequently ask myself, "how would Mom or Dad handle this situation". When I do something that I know they would approve of, it makes me feel good inside, and it helps me to make sense of it all.
Nice topic, Wanda. |
"The music of the Hawaiians, the most fascinating in the world, is still in my ears and
haunts me sleeping and waking."
Mark Twain |
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