My mom was a little older when she had the youngest of my two sisters.
As a six-year-old at the time, my memory can be a bit cloudy now. However, I do remember those cold January days when my aunts and aunts-in-law came by to help my mom and help with me and my other sister.
They cleaned, washed clothes in the old wringer washing machine, cooked (some meals even better than my mom’s, but don’t tell her that part) and generally took care of us to allow my mom time to recover.
They also knew my mom would (and did) do the same thing for them in their hour of need. They were friends, and that is just what friends do.
This past week as part of my last lap as Chairman of the Virginia Bankers Association, I attended a forum for new (relatively new) Bank CEOs. These folks had been meeting via Zoom over the past 18 months, and this was their first face-to-face meeting.
Being a CEO or President of anything is a great honor, but with it comes expectations, challenges, even pressure. I shared with the attendees that while there may come a time when they compete with one another, having a friend who is another Bank CEO is a positive and valuable thing. A person who understands what you are going through. A friend.
In work and life we all face situations in which the help of others is needed.
Maybe it is help getting loans renewed.
Maybe help so you can have the afternoon off to take your child to the dentist.
Maybe help answering the phones at the first of the month.
Our moms taught us to share. My mom also taught me not to deny others the “blessing” of helping others.
Moms set an example for us of what it is to care for other people and not just ourselves.
They are our friends to this very day, whether they are physically with us or not.
Hope you had a great Mother’s Day Weekend.
– Leton
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“Letters From Leton” is a blog series comprised of the weekly updates that Leton Harding – President, Chairman, and CEO of Powell Valley National Bank, shares with the Bank’s team members. These newsletters are full of uplifting anecdotes and intriguing insights that are applicable beyond the Bank, so we want to share them with you.
