I like to reflect on people who grace the world with qualities that make it a better place. That said, I note that “classy” needs a touch of refinement, as we could be high or low class, just as the word “quality” does not specify good or bad quality. Classy to me means rich in spirit, not in money.
So, I suggest Classy Day seeks those with sophistication, elegance, and inner classiness… whether gobbling up a lobster or lounging barefoot in my back yard.
To me, classy folks exude good manners, respectfulness, or a timeless way of dressing, even when donning costumes to attend special events…
…or winning a spring hat contest by making one featuring Annalee doll bunnies.
I am honored to say that my mother is a perfect example of a classy person. She and Dad met in high school.
They were married in 1950, and you can be certain that she was a classy bride.
Here on my www.GoodLiving123.com website, I endeavor to express and share little things that can help make good living as easy as 1-2-3. I learned all such things from my mother.
I was quite the handful as a youth, but she had the strength and determination to get and keep me on the right path. As a little tribute to her for her 90th birthday, in 2020 I released a book dedicated to her. “Good Living Skills Learned from my Mother” gave me an opportunity to expound on just a few of the countless skills she worked hard to live and teach by example.
Amidst the 40 that I chose to include, skills like “no idle hands,” “choose to be a positive role model,” “get back up,” and “forgiveness” get chapters. The same is true for “rise above the fray,” “make every moment count,” and “follow your dream.” No matter what she has been doing, Mom always exudes all those skills and many more.
Of special importance to me is the chapter called, “Leave a Place Better than You Found It.” She always took the extra time to do this, even down to sweeping any stray grains of sand off the porch of the little cabin we would rent for a week at Newfound Lake in New Hampshire before we could drive away.
She was classy during travels, too… whether on a boat with Dad off Cape Cod or on a cruise ship in Bermuda.
Family has always remained paramount… whether we visited them in Florida…
…or they visited my sister living in Hawaii.
Mom has always been the “Hostess with the Mostest.” Countless people have been grateful recipients of her gracious hospitality and fabulous baking skills.
I observed her calm and diplomatic approach, and her ability to make others feel special as she supported every endeavor any of her children undertook, like the grand opening of a new bank for which I’d been an organizer.
Mom lifted us above herself and celebrated with us with a heart filled with genuine love and generosity… even while hosting Miss New Hampshire contestants and then meeting a Miss America backstage.
Classy people, like Mom, are honest and trustworthy, culturally aware and involved, and self-confident in who they are. Together, Mom and Dad made a rockstar team.
I feel blessed to have been able to celebrate many of their anniversaries with them… including the 25th, 50th, 60th, and more.
Mom loved becoming a grandmother and then watching her grandbabies grow up.
And she is a doting great grandmother, too!
Now, at age 93, we are blessed with her good health. She works out in the swimming pool, sings in a fun chorus, runs a card shop, plays bridge regularly, and remains active in her women’s organization.
Her spirits and wits are sharp. We can still talk about absolutely anything and everything and get laughing like schoolgirls.
I am also confident that when the Lord does call her home she will have left this Earth as a far better place than she found it. But till then, I keep on praying for more blessings and more years with Mom.
Happy Classy Day, Mom!
Glenna Gulumian Burnham, my mother, remains the classiest person I’ve ever known. If I can follow her lead in even a miniscule manner, I will know that I have contributed to Life in a positive way.
Thank you, Mom!
