Mothers' Day, 2015

Tattoos have become a new art form: "body art" as my millenial children would remind me. I've kinda toyed with the idea-of getting a tattoo, but quite frankly, I haven't figured out what would art I'd like to mark my body with. But, a big birthday is coming up soon, and I'm feeling more pressure now. During a dinner conversation, one of our friends asked us a simple, profound question (most simple questions are). "How will you self-identify"? Instinctively, I said, "a mother".

My response gave me pause - I wondered why I did not respond "a leader" or "a teacher" or "a work/life coach". Most of my life, I have been aspiring to become an inspiring leader, and more recently, a wise teacher, a trusted coach. I've learned to believe that I not only move organizations, make decisions, and set directions. I also shape and influence those who I work with.

And -- through all this, I have drawn inspiration, wisdom and trust from being a mother. In his wonderful book, "How Will You Measure Your Life", Clay Christensen reminds us of the many traps that tip the balance between a successful career and a happy life. Our children, now 30 and 27 are going through the their own journey of building a rewarding and fulfilling career and life. When they were growing up, we laid four fundamental rules to guide them through adulthood: 1- Finish college in 4 years, 2- Be able to support themselves - no matter how modest their lifestyle would be; 3- Do not end up in jail; 4- Aspire to be good and kind people.

It seems to me that at this point in their lives, they no longer have to stop and think about what we their parents want them to do - they just do it, because they know. Their DNA has become wired with the values that we have,as a family, almost unconsciously, preached and practiced all these years. And this warms my heart beyond words.

I think the image of that elusive tattoo is emerging....