Glenn strikes again

Every year on this day, my father sends his daughters flowers. It's his way of making us smile on the anniversary of the day we lost Mom. Of course we cry first, then we smile.

At any rate, this is one of those moments that makes me stop and think of Mom, reflect on the good stuff (the way her whale tail necklace always ended up in her soup) instead of the bad (why did she leave before all my questions could be answered?) I don't have my mother up on a perfect pedastal, but I do appreciate who she was and what I learned from her. Such as:

• Add 50 percent more chocolate chips to the recipe. More chocolate never hurts.
• Sometimes family gatherings are best handled after a glass or two of wine.
• A little black dress is always appropriate.
• You can tell a lot about people by the company they keep.
• Eat something before church.
• What hurts in the moment will be funny eventually.
• Music makes the hard times bearable.
• Take care of your car and it will take care of you.
• Take care of all that you value - the people and the things. Your friends, your cookware and your black suit can last you a lifetime.
• Superstitions only count when the Bears or Cubs are involved.
• Great legs are your birthright.
• There is no need to fish; Mrs. Paul and the Gorton's guy do it for you.
• Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
• Don't go to bed angry.
• If you must ask "Why me?" when things are bad, you must also be willing to ask "Why me?" when things are good. It's much more effective to just approach life asking "Why not me?"
• You can fit an infinite number of people around a round table.
• Take vacations, even if you don't go far.
• Be willing to be silly. You'll probably never see these people again, anyway.
• Hats feel better than wigs.
• You're never too old to learn.

Thanks, Mom. You never fail to make me smile.