Memories of Mom: Guest Blog by Lauren Brisben

00000016After joining the Pure Romance Corporate team this past February I’ve really focused on what it truly means to be a successful Consultant, and I have found myself asking a very humbling question: how did my Mom manage to run a successful direct sales business and be so present for her family that they never noticed how hard she was working?

I see with a larger Downline and higher sales comes a correlation between success and guilt. I know my Mom was both number one in sales and recruiting for F.U.N. Parties. I have memories of dropping her off at her parties, driving her to the airport fortrainings and incentive trips and the frequent visits from UPS with large brown box deliveries. I can remember my mom making phone calls on our kitchen phone, pacing from room to room, limited by the spiral cord and the fact that the phone was connected to the wall. Oh, the golden years. From pizza dinners with my Dad while Mom was out working to the image of my Mom’s brown suede leather money pouch completely filled with written checks and green bills the next day, the fact that she was operating a business was evident, but never a dark spot in my childhood. You see, when I think of the years my Mom was a Consultant, I remember a woman who was ever-present. Here are some of the images that come to mind when I think of my mom:

  • Planting Pansies in the springtime and the delight she would get when her Tulips bloomed (yes, this was Patty Brisben)
  • Sweet tea steeping in a large 1-gallon glass mason jar dispenser on our deck in the summer
  • Hours at our community swim club where Mom would sometimes dangle her feet in and we would hang on as she smiled down at us
  • The year she took us to Disney World; I was so excited to meet Minnie Mouse I screamed, “MINNIE!” throughout the park until we found her
  • The pride I felt when she would show up as a volunteer for my school parties in 1st grade
  • Running off the school bus to my Mom’s smiling face, eager to ask me about my day
  • Coming in from the cold to hot chocolate after halfway finishing a snow fort with my brothers
  • The traditions she made sure to keep every year:Pickles, cheese balls, baking cookies, Christmas music and The Dickens Christmas Village décor that were always staples around our Christmas tree decorating
  • Banging pots and pans around the neighborhood every New Year’s Eve
  • Going to Shaw’s Pumpkin Farm every October to enjoy a tractor ride and select our perfect pumpkin
  • Selecting the best Halloween costume we could find at Biggs
  • The scent of her famous chili and hot cider on Halloween night
  • Kites, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and deviled eggs that were a given every Easter
  • Our special shopping spree to Limited Girls (this was a special secret we shared)
  •  How excited I would get when she got a shipment from UPS because I knew there would be a stuffed animal in it for me (I found out recently this was an incentive program the company provided that year and she made sure to hit her retail minimum so she could give one of us a stuffed animal that she earned).
  • The tedious hour she spent rolling my hair in foam rollers the night before Picture Day
  • The day I brought home an injured baby squirrel; she went out of her way to buy a tiny bottle with special formula and learn everything she could about nursing a wild animal back to health in order to release it back into the wild

Now, I know this might seem all too sweet and nice to be real, but I can assure you she had her real Mommy moments, too. For example, I can remember clearly the day she ripped all of our drawers out, went through our closets, and dumped everything into the middle of our bedrooms because we ignored her when she asked us to clean our rooms. I also remember the Mom who would pinch us under the table at a nice dinner out to Red Lobster if we were being rude or speaking out of turn. The pinch would only get sharper if we cried out or let on that she was actually doing this. She wasn’t always perfect, she was a tough Mom in so many ways, but she was really good at making us feel loved despite how busy she must have been. I can’t speak for her, but I would be curious to know how she juggled all of it so well!

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6 Comments

  1. vickie gregory

    Your mom is one of the greatest!

  2. Sylvia Mikulski

    AMAZING STORY, thank you so much for sharing this…..Happy Mother’s day to all!!!!

  3. Denise Rahe

    LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you SO Much for sharing 🙂

  4. Sky

    This so brought a smile to my face! As a mother of four as well, I often wonder if I’m doing it all “right”. Thank you Lauren for sharing all of this! Happy Mother’s Day to you both!

  5. Sheryl Davis

    Thank you for Sharing. So many wished they had a mom that just cared. Your mom is wonderful. Happy Mothers Day to you both.

  6. Clarissa

    This hit home. As a single mom, I know that every moment is special and I must make it significant. It’s a tough job but it must be done well. Happy tears flowing.

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