Blog #37: In Memoriam Mia Jespers (1944-2019) - 5 Lessons for Life

Breath taking, when the last breath of your own Mom is taken away. Suddenly. "Game over!", like my 11 year old daughter said in a Tik Tok video about her grand-mother. Each day, each hour, each minute, each second, someone passes away. But not your own Mom.... Each moment a soul passes to the ‘other side’, it is part of life. But not your own Mom.

Life stood still, but life goes on and memories last for ever.

My Mom has been a special kind of person, as all moms in the world…. She shared her lessons for life continuously, so it is hard to pick only a few, but here are five of them:

Lesson 1: “Who does not honour the small, isn’t worth the big.”

My Mom was born in 1944, World War II was going on in Belgium. My grand parents had German soldiers stationed at their home during her birth. As a child from the war, she has learned to honour the small things in life, to be happy with the simple things. She had an eye for these tiny details that could make you smile easily. She noticed the little miracles.

Did you see the bird on your way to work? And do you know its name? My Mom did!

Lesson 2: “Be a duck.”

When a duck gets all wet from the outside, it does not get a cold. The water just glides from it like a slide. When you are a duck your environment does not touch you when you do not want it. No harm can be done to you when you are like a duck.

So, the next time some harsh words come your way or some negative energy, just be like a duck!

Lesson 3: “Whom the cap fits, let him wear it.”

She would make generic comments or give feedback and I could be so frustrated sometimes, because I felt it was about me. And that was not necessarily the case, as there was also a brother and a father at our home. “Whome the cap fits, let him wear it.” She used to say. It is true, we need to listen carefully and only take at heart what is ours, we should let go of things that are not ours.

Lesson 4: “My tasks are my hobbies.”

My Mom never had a real hobby like we would call an activity for pleasure. She did a lot of useful things that we would call tasks, but she did those with a lot of pleasure. When her grand-children asked her for her hobbies, she explained them that her household chores were her hobbies.

She could wash any spot on your clothes and have it removed forever. She was proud when she did it again. She could make new candles from the used candles. She could sew any hole and you would not even notice there had been a hole. And all these little chores, she did them with pleasure and joy.

Lesson 5: “My candle is lit.”

For any exam we would have, for any presentation we would make, for any tough negotiation or challenging circumstances, my Mom would have one answer: “My candle is lit.” She would light a candle during these special moments as a distant support, as a guardian angel. I am sure it works!

As from now, in this Christmas period, each candle will remind me of her. Every candle is a memory to her lessons of life she gave me on top of so much more.

In memory of all those we have lost, but we keep close to our heart ❤️.

In summary, 5 Lessons for Life in memory of my Mom, Mia Jespers:

Lesson 1: “Who does not honour the small, isn’t worth the big.”

Lesson 2: “Be a duck.”

Lesson 3: “Whom the cap fits, let him wear it.”

Lesson 4: “My tasks are my hobbies.”

Lesson 5: “My candle is lit.”

This is my 37th blog to inspire you, decision maker in the recruiting and selection process.

Now, it is your turn. Please answer the question below:

What is the lesson for life you have learned from your mother?

I believe in the principle of ‘first give’, I would like to confirm that intention, I have a present for you when you leave a comment below: my e-book with 44 tips to Boost Your Vacancies! You can check it out or give it to any person who is hiring in 2020!

Thanks a lot for reading till the end and I am looking forward to read your reactions.🙏

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Looking forward to hearing from you.

Up to Solving Your People Challenges!

Katherina 

Co-Wings, Using Everybody's Wings to Fly!

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About Katherina Swings

An inspirational connector, a multi-lingual contributor with international (working and living) experience, an inspirational speaker, a seasoned HR person with two decades of corporate experience, an experienced change manager with business savvy, a creative writer, a certified professional learning facilitator, a certified inclusive leadership trainer, a certified employer brander, a multi-cultural networker, an active listener…

My vision is to create a positive world by connecting people who discover each other’s strengths.

My mission is to support 10 000 managers worldwide to become (more) in-clusive.

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Below 👇👇👇👇 you will find my 36 previous blogs! 👇👇👇👇 Let me know your feedback after reading them!