I like reminders.
I set out notes to remind me of important things I need to do. I send myself emails to make sure I don’t forget something I’ve heard or seen. When I go places I love {or hate} I like to take something as a reminder of what I felt or something I learned or experienced. I have taken cups of sand, pens, and rocks and other valueless items to help stir my memory from my favorite places.
Pictures weren’t enough for me. I needed a tie to the lessons I was learning day in and day out on my adventure through motherhood.
Photo by Mckenzie Stewart Photography
As my five children’s lives rushed by, I found myself collecting items that reminded me of lessons I needed to teach them or experiences I didn’t want us to forget. Some lessons were not very pleasant at the moment, but somehow I knew that history would repeat itself, so I better have a reminder of what I felt and what I learned, even if it was a hard one.
Over the past 29 years I have collected a wide variety of items that I display on a shelf that my oldest son built for me. I find myself daily looking at my collection and relearning on new levels all that motherhood has taught me. As a single mother of four sons and a daughter, life has had some big lessons to be learned.
LLAMA TOE NAILS: While visiting Peru, I saw a set of llama toe nails tied together with string to create a musical rattle. I just had to have them! Many of the tourists wouldn’t touch those dirty, long, grotesque toenails, but I was drawn to them and was immediately reminded of my children!!!!
Photo from Making MultiCultural Music There was a lesson. Just like those imperfect, kinda gross, useless appearing toenails could make beautiful music by being seen through the eyes of a musician, who tenderly tied them together and realized their hidden potential – my children were the same.
Some days those kids of mine were grotesque. Many days they were all useless and imperfect, and I wondered what would become of them. But just like those toenails, it took the ability to see them through the loving eyes of an adoring mother to let their potential be revealed.
I needed to tie their imperfect pieces together with love, rules, consequences, praise, successes and failures, to see that they all could make very beautiful music. Each sounds different from the other, but each, like those toenails, makes enjoyable music. On days that my children appear like a useless, gross toenail, I sit back and look at my Peruvian rattle and remind them and myself of what I’ve learned.
SALT: On my shelf also sits a five pound chunk of salt that I hauled out of the Devils Golf Course in Death Valley, Ca. When I have a suggestion or advice for one of my children, I sometimes need to remind them of the chunk of salt and the lesson it taught us.
Photo by geologycafe.com
While visiting the evaporated ocean in Death Valley my children asked me what the rocks were that covered the ground that they were climbing on. After reading our handy dandy pamphlet, we deducted that it was salt that remained after the ocean evaporated. SALT!!!
“No way, I don’t believe it!!” a son proclaimed. So, of course son number three had to do it – he broke off a piece and LICKED it! After much spitting and gagging, and unquenchable thirst, he confirmed that indeed the rock was salt!
There was the lesson. Life has placed before us, those that have knowledge and experiences that can save us from having to taste the salt for ourselves, and save us from gagging and spitting our way through life. The idea stuck and when visitors questioned the rock on the shelf, those that were quick to doubt and had to try for themselves were labeled “salt lickers!”
All of my children have had salt licking moments in their lives when they doubted the counsel from others and have had to “lick the salt of experience for themselves”. Most often they return saying, “Why didn’t I listen!”
When I can feel my children’s resistance to advice, I remind them of the lesson of the salt rock. Do they really need to lick the salt? Sometimes it is less painful to listen to those who have come before us, who can prevent us from having to experience painful situations or lessons by following their heed or advice.
The collection grows as my children and now grandchildren add to the lessons I am learning. The shelf is a daily reminder of the joys and valuable lessons learned as a mother.
Julie Kehler was born and raised in New York and spent her Summers at the Jersey shore. She is an incredible mother, who raised her amazing children in Las Vegas. She was a stay-at-home mom for 16 years, until she became a teacher when she became a single mom of five. Julie is currently a Special Education Teacher and has enjoyed every opportunity she has ever had to teach her children and spend time with them.
Join the newsletter
Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day! 
Google+