How I Got 5 More Minutes with My Mom

This may sound like a strange statement to make.

If you don’t know me, then this might seem totally random, and not a big deal.

And if you do know me, then you’d know this is a complete impossibility.

Bear with me here —

My mom passed away when I was in high school. She battled a long illness that I didn’t know much about at the time.

And being a teenager, let’s face it — I didn’t really care to know the details.

I just knew things in our family were different. For as far back as I could remember, my mom couldn’t do what other mothers could do with their kids. It was just a fact of life.

Other kids had moms who could take them to the park, monkey around on the jungle gym, play dress-up or have dance parties. My mom couldn’t do any of those things. On her best days, she could walk slowly while holding onto the walls. As her disease progressed, she became wheelchair bound. And eventually, she became fully immobilized, 100% bedridden.

She died when I was a high school senior, while I was taking my SATs.

But a short time ago, I was granted five more minutes with her.

And it was amazing.

How to Know When You Need a Break

I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be writing this post. It’s a lot different than pretty much all of the others I’ve been seeing out there, and I didn’t think it would be received well. Not for any negative reasons, but because it was against the norm of what was experienced by others.

I started writing this more so for me, to be cathartic and get my thoughts down “on paper”. The plan was not to release or promote this.

Then a wise person urged me to go ahead and publish it. They said “it might be different from others, but it is yours.”

So with that being said, here we go. This was my first FinCon experience.

Attitude is Everything

There is something to be said for having a positive attitude. For one, it makes life a heck of a lot easier when you see the glass as half full, instead of half empty.

I’ve written in the past about the power of positive thinking, and having faith in your own abilities. Having confidence in yourself isn’t always easy. But it can be learned. And it can become a behavior that is honed, built upon, and improved.

The more work you put into it, the easier it gets. And the growth compounds from there. Baby steps — to feel better about yourself, your goals, and your overall purpose.

But what happens if you push too hard… You go too far… You lean a little too much into a world that you’re not quite ready for?

That’s when it’s best to know your limitations. Identify your triggers.

Because if and when that momentum begins to slow, you may start rolling backwards down that hill again.

And sometimes, instead of pushing yourself forward, you need to know when to take a break.

Advice from a Middle-Aged, Former Over-Achiever

Next week I will be attending my very first personal finance conference.

This is important for two reasons. First, because I will be moving one step closer to my dream. Getting my finances in order. Solidifying my future. Expanding my education by learning more about investing, saving and creating smart financial goals.

The second reason is because I will be taking this excursion entirely on my own. No friends or family to lean on. Navigating an airport, ground transportation, and a ginormous resort hotel. By. Myself.

To those of you who actually know me, your jaws have probably dropped to the floor by now. Because I barely leave the house, much less travel across the country.

via GIPHY

I’m a remote worker, faithful Amazon Prime member and loyal user of Peapod grocery delivery service. I prefer to have things come to me.

More importantly, I prefer not to go out in public. At least not very often.

So the fact that I’m stepping out into the “real world” and leaning into my discomfort, is extremely surprising to those I know.