Mother's Day From Abroad

No question, the hardest part about making the decision to move to Australia and being so far away from home is not being closer to my wonderful mom. Sorry to brag, but I really lucked out in the mom department.

My mom would never make me feel badly about making this move or about any decisions I might make in my life, which is precisely why it's hard to be far away. She is supportive, centered, and practical - just the kind of person you want to be around as much as possible. Everyone who meets my mom comments on how kind and lovely she is.

Of course, it is probably her influence that made me willing to just up and move so far away. She always instilled in me a love of learning and a curiosity about new places and cultures. Her Minnesota sensibility means that she doesn't have a lot of tolerance for over-sentimentalizing or placing pointless obstacles in front of yourself. I've picked up from her the sense that things in life will generally work out pretty well as long as you're moving forward, working hard, operating under the golden rule, and using common sense.

Among the many lessons I've learned from my mom (many of which I am still aspiring to really learn):

-It is terribly unattractive for girls to scream about seeing a bug
-Pick your battles
-Families should make dinner together a priority
-You don't know if you don't like it until you try it
-Write thank you notes
-Most minor infractions can be mended by showing up with ice cream
-There's no such thing as do as I say, not as I do
-Poor grammar is a sin
-Beautiful handwriting is a virtue
-A good book is always better than television
-If you don't have anything nice to say, there really is no need to say anything
-Look for the best in people, but also hold them to a high standard


Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I hate being so far away, but I thank you for giving me these wings.