Karen and I both lost our 90-year-old mothers last year. Now Mother’s Day has a different feeling. A feeling of loss and a feeling of appreciation for the time we had with our mothers.
It would be misleading to say that the relationship I had with my mother was perfect. No relationship is perfect. Having lost my mother, and not getting any younger myself, reminds me how important it is to say what we need to say while we have time together.
Mothers are such an important part of the family business story.
I continue to be blessed to meet so many great mothers in my family business consulting work. Far too often mothers are the unsung heroes of the team. They are the ones that do so much or have done so much without great fanfare or notice.
I know that’s the case in our family business. Mother’s Day is the one day of the year we should get it right. We should give them their due. We should make sure that we are thoughtful and communicative about what they’ve meant to us.
If you’ve been reading my blog post and spending any time with me, you know that I believe the key to everything is practice. Each Mother’s Day is another opportunity for you to practice extraordinary communication with your mother or your mother-in-law.
A great coach should help you by encouraging you to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone and practice being extraordinary. With that in mind, here are the things I’d like to encourage you to communicate to your mother this Mother’s Day.
If you think you’ve said these things before, go ahead and say them again. You don’t know how many Mother’s Days you’ll have left with Mom.
Try to create a quiet moment where you can be thoughtful and present, and look Mom right in the eye and tell her…
- Thank you for bringing me into the world
- Thank you for raising me and caring for me in the early part of my life, or my entire life
- Thank you for your patience and love when I disappointed you or let you down or made a bad decision in my life
- Thank you for all you do and have done for our family
- I love you unconditionally and always will
An important part of coaching and having a healthy family is learning how to communicate in meaningful ways. When you say these things to Mom, look her right in the eye and see if you can watch as your genuine words really soak in. This is a perfect opportunity for you to stretch your communication muscles.
Never take for granted how many days you have with your mother. Make the most of them!
Coach Pete
Pete Walsh offers family business consulting services, workshops, tools and resources as the founder of the Family Business Performance Center. Subscribe to his newsletter or get in touch to get actionable insights to help your family business grow for generations to come.
His latest book, The Family Business Playbook gives you step-by-step exercises to help your family win!
