Wiser With Age

Tag: wisdom

  • In My Mother’s Words: Gratitude

    In My Mother’s Words: Gratitude


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.

    As my mom and I sat in the airport waiting for our ride when we came back from South America this summer, she started telling me how clearly she remembers the day she arrived to this country. She said she remembers the times she got lost. The times she felt such relief when finding someone who spoke Spanish to help, and how tough it was the times she couldn’t find someone.

    I asked her if she had to do it all over again if she would. Without any hesitation she said to me,

    “Uy, claro que sí! Yo a este país le vivo muy agradecida por que me dio a mis dos hijos y oportunidades que yo nunca hubiera podido tener en Honduras.â€

    (Oh, of course! I am very grateful to this country, because it gave me my two children and has granted me opportunities I would’ve never had in Honduras.)

    My mother is one of the most grateful people I know. Frankly, I sometimes think she’s grateful to a fault. She never forgets the favors people did for her during some of our most difficult times. Her life here has not been an easy one, life in general isn’t meant to be easy. But, it takes a certain level of badassery (not a confirmed word in the Oxford dictionary) to pack up your bags and move to a whole new country you’ve never even seen. Not to mention, leaving your country and family not knowing when you’ll return.

    My mom is the ultimate American. She listens to the Star-Spangled banner carefully every time it plays. She likes watching shows like Family Feud bc she says they teach her new words in English. She LOVES Facebook and her iPhone. She’s full of hope. Hope granted to her by living in a place where if you work hard you can come from an impoverished country, not know the language, and raise two professionals. Hope is a gift my mother has never taken for granted. She is forever grateful to this country for granting her that hope.

    This Thanksgiving we spent it apart. We have lots to be thankful for- my mom’s health, my new job, amazing friends along with a roof over our heads and food on our tables. My mom came from very little and is always reminding us to give thanks, no matter the occasion. To her you need to be thankful for everything from the bus driver who gets you home safely to the steady paycheck.

    Maybe that’s why when it comes time for Thanksgiving if we can’t get together none of us feel all that terrible. When your family consists of three people every gathering is a family gathering. We know how lucky we are and even if we’re apart we know we’re not alone. We’re a formidable army of three who eat turkey weekly (lean meats, ya know?!). We look forward to the next time we see each other and figuring out what vacation we’ll take next.

    We’re three people full of hope and for that we are grateful.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in New York City. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€

  • 81-year-old pole vaulting champion on winning any challenge

    81-year-old pole vaulting champion on winning any challenge


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Flo Meiler, the oldest pole vaulter in the world competing at the 2015 World Masters Athletics Championships in Lyon, France. (Photo/Alex Rotas)

    Flo Meiler may be 81, but she’s still at the top of her games. She actually competed in 18 different sports last month at the World Masters Athletics Championships in France, added three new world records to her 15, including one new American record in the triple jump and one in the heptathlon.

    “Do you know what a heptathlon is?,†she asks excitedly. “It consists of 80-meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, and the 200-meter run on the first day. The second day, you do the long jump, the javelin, and 800-meter run…I got 5,730 points. The other gal got 5,135. I was pretty happy about that!â€

    Meiler grew up on a dairy farm in a small community in Champlain, NY.

    “I was always very active in high school,†recalls Meiler, now the oldest pole vaulter in the world. “I played basketball, I was a cheerleader, I took tap dancing lessons, I was a baton twirler, I played trumpet. I was in everything. I was always a go-getter.â€

    Today, she lives with her husband of 55 years in Shelburne, Vermont. They moved around a lot throughout their marriage as he was a B-52 bomber pilot in the military.

    “We were stationed in Orlando, Florida for 3.5 years, and we did a lot of water skiing competitions there,†says Meiler, who ended up taking part in more than 30 years of waterskiing competitions. “That strengthened my legs and arms a lot.â€

    Together with her husband, she took up tennis at age 40, and now they enjoy ballroom dancing. Independently, she started competing at the Vermont Senior Games at 55, and she didn’t start track and field until she was 60.

    “I was playing tennis with my husband, and my training partner asked me to try track,†remembers Meiler. She said, ‘I think you’ll be good at it,’ so I did it, and that’s what started my track and field career.â€

    Out of all the sports she competes in, she says the pole vault and the hurdles are her favorites, “because they are very challenging, and I’ve always loved anything challenging.â€

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Flo Meiler competing at the hurdles last month. (Photo/Alex Rotas)

    She says she owes a lot to her training partner, and advises others to get one if they want to get serious about getting fit.

    “I am very fortunate to have Barbara Jordan with me, because we challenge each other,†says Meiler. “When we compete, we’re the best of friends. We do the best we can. Two years ago, she had a mastectomy, and they took out part of her left lung. I call her my angel. If she wasn’t as fit as she was, she could not have [survived]. Fitness really counts when it comes to health.â€

    Meiler says she’s taking it easy now – training only an hour and a half, six days a week, instead of two and a half. Her next competition isn’t until January – the Dartmouth Relays in Hanover, New Hampshire, which she’s been doing for the past 15 years.

    One of her life’s biggest challenges has been personal, however.

    “I had the misfortune of having two miscarriages,†says Meiler. “In those days, they didn’t have the medical equipment they had today. I also had a 3.5-year-old who died from aplastic anemia. Then we adopted three children – a 3.5 year old from Vermont, then another 2.5-year-old boy from Canada, and a 5.5-year-old from Korea. We have an international family. We all played tennis together, and did waterskiing.â€

    What’s one piece of advice about life that she would tell her younger self with the wisdom she has now?

    “Not everybody has had the opportunity that I had. I married a fantastic husband, and he was able to provide. I didn’t have to go to work, but I kept busy with doing something for the community – I volunteered for the American Heart Association for 27 years. If you’re not going to be working, you really should be doing something for your community,†says Meiler. “Don’t rest on your laurels. Keep active…be active in your church, be part of your community, take real good care of your family, and put the good Lord first in your life. He has really helped me in my life.â€

  • In my Mother’s Words: 6 greatest moments in 61 years

    In my Mother’s Words: 6 greatest moments in 61 years


    My mom celebrated her 61st birthday on Tuesday. Thankfully, she’s still hanging out with me in NYC until I get my apartment and am all settled. I decided to ask her what her top six moments of the last 61 years have been. Here you go (in chronological order and not necessarily order of importance):

    1. Her wedding day – My mother has always said her wedding day really was one of the best memories of her life. She remembers being full of hopes, dreams and excitement.
      A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    2. The day she gave birth to each of us – My mom loves us limitlessly. She says despite the painful experience of child birth, and how hard it is to raise kids, she wouldn’t have it any other way. I tell ya, we aren’t easy cookies so there’s a lot of love and patience there.
      A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    3. The day my brother and I each graduated college – For my mother this was her American dream. All she wanted was to raise two professionals. We did it!
      A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    4. Visiting the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France - My mom is a very devout Catholic and says ever since she was a little girl she dreamt of traveling to Lourdes but never thought it’d be possible. Thankfully, she checked it off her bucket list. (photo credit: Mom)
      A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    5. Seeing my grandmother turn 91 – My grandmother is not only 91 but is as healthy as a horse. She’s a little frail like most of us would be, but has a sharp tongue paired with sharp wit. She went to the doctor a few weeks ago and tried hitting on the man! Here she is surrounded by mariachis on her 91st in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
      A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    6. Vacationing in Argentina with my brother and I- This was probably the most surprising one for me. She told me that for her “eso fue lo máximoâ€Â (it was awesome). When I asked her why, she said she never imagined us being all together on vacation somewhere like Argentina. When we were younger we didn’t go on vacation and any trips were to Honduras to see family. It was a fun treat to be all together…sipping on wine…lots of wine.
      A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.

    From listening to her I was reminded of the importance of gratitude. She’s so thankful for all of these experiences. She’s humbled by so many of them and realizes how fortunate we are. She doesn’t feel entitled or like these are experiences she’s earned. She’s just grateful.

    The crazy thing is five out of her six best moments have happened in the last 31 years. As usual, she reminds me it’s never too late.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in New York City. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€

  • In My Mother’s Words: Love for your kids

    In My Mother’s Words: Love for your kids


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.

    Putting into words how much you love someone can be really hard. The love is sometimes so powerful, you’re left speechless.

    One of the most beautiful explanations my mom has used to describe her love for us came as a response to a bit of a smart answer I gave her.

    She’s always said my brother and I are her lungs, without us she cannot breathe. One day I said to her:

    “Bueno, uno puede vivir con un pulmón.â€

               (Well, you can live with one lung.)

    She replied:

    “Si, pero no vuelves a ser la misma.â€

              (Yes, but you’re never the same.)

    Her response made me think, and I always remember it. It taught me how much you can mean to someone. You always know your mom loves you, but when it’s compared to something essential, like your lungs, you pause and really reflect.

    I, too, honestly feel like I cannot breathe without my mother. In times of happiness, she’s there smiling ear-to-ear, in times of sadness, she holds my hand, and in challenging times, we love each other and stay positive.

    Certain weeks, you feel really lucky and blessed. This week, I’m grateful for breathing room.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€

  • In my Mother’s Words: People and looks

    In my Mother’s Words: People and looks


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Victoria with her mom while traveling in Medellin, Colombia.

    You know how sometimes you like a guy or a girl, and they’re not incredibly good looking, but not hideous either? Sometimes you don’t even know how to describe them!

    My mother always tries to see the best in people, and like most mothers, her words may sound mean, but then you laugh and realize it’s not such a bad way of putting it either.

    Typically, when my mother sees someone and finds herself in the same position I do when describing someone not gorgeous but not hideous, she tells me:

    “No es bonito/a que encanta ni feo/a que espanta.â€

             (Translation: Neither cute enough to charm nor ugly enough to harm.)

    I know this sounds harsh at first, but it’s also kind of hysterical. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to describe someone that way, and it totally makes sense to whomever I’m speaking with.

    Let’s be honest, most people aren’t drop dead gorgeous, or drop dead hideous. In the end, it’s all in good fun, because as my mom always reminds me it’s the inside that counts.

    Moms really do say the darndest things.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€