On Mother’s Day, you’d think I’d be telling you what I got for my mom, not from my mom.  But I’ve always been a little selfish that way.  Despite realizing that it’s not all about me, sometimes I still think it is.

When the Parent Bloggers Network asked us what traits we received from our mothers, I got out my pencil and started writing.  Well, okay, honestly I didn’t.  Instead, I sat down to type, but that doesn’t have quite the same ring, does it?

A few gifts from my mother:

• Compassion for the downtrodden
• Compassion for the elderly
• People skills: “Look them in the eye and say hello”
• Tenacity
• A deep love for the ocean
• A hearty laugh
• Bravery in new situations, even if it’s occasionally false bravado
• Good posture
• Table manners
• “This is she,” not “This is her”
• Skeptism
• Authenticity
• Love

Thanks, Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network’s Blog Blast, sponsored this week by Johnson’s.