Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. This post is in honor of Mary Anne Burns.

Here's a list of a few things I didn't appreciate learning from Mom at the time but am ever grateful for:

• Put your trash in a trash can. If there isn't a trash can nearby, hold on to your trash until we find one. I don't care how long it takes to find one.
• Stand up straight. You'll be healthier and look more attractive.
• If you can't think of anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all. You can't take back ugly words once spoken.
• Your dad deserves special honor as the hard-working bread-winner of this family. He will have jelly on his first piece of toast if he chooses and can start any meal with a glass of milk. (We kids had a tendency to quench our thirst with milk after playing outdoors, so the rule was drink a glass of water first.)
• If you're older, you have more privileges; those privileges come along with a responsibility toward the younger, less experienced siblings. Take good care of them.
• I don't lie to you kids, so don't ever lie to me. Ever.
• It takes a lot of hard work to keep a big family running smoothly. Your participation in that work is a given. You can endure it or learn to enjoy it.
• Learning is a life-long activity. Keep spreading your wings and trying new things. (She launched what was to become a successful portrait photography business at an age when many folks start counting the months and days to retirement, never having owned more than an Kodak instamatic camera before.)

Thanks, Mom. You set a high standard and gave us something to aim for. Happy Birthday!