My mom, Flora Bernardo, reminds me to live in the moment.

One of my favorite memories of her vivacious nature is a Cyndi Lauper concert we attended on New Year’s Eve in 2007 at the Sheraton Waikiki ballroom. In the final moment of the show, Lauper jumped atop one of the dining tables, prompting a surge of fans to pop out of their chairs and rush toward her.

As we stood clapping from our seats several tables away, my mom quickly handed her bag over to me and said, “Hold this,” before dashing over to join the crowd surrounding the pop star as she sang “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

That’s mom. Spunky and spontaneous.

At parties, she’s one of the first to line up on the dance floor to do the Electric Slide as soon as the DJ plays Marcia Griffiths’ “Electric Boogie.”

A friend, relative or even someone she just met is likely to be on the receiving end of a playful slap on the arm accompanied by a light-hearted, infectious laugh should someone make a witty or hilarious remark.

During my childhood, one of the nurturing ways she expressed her unconditional love for us was through cooking ono Filipino dishes like pancit on birthdays to represent a long life, arroz caldo when battling a cold, and sinigang, chicken adobo and a multitude of other dishes for family dinners.

To this day, her first question when I call or stop by is “Did you eat? I cooked (insert name of delicious Filipino dish here).”

She instilled in us a tireless work ethic, working six days a week as a hairstylist and co-business owner of Hairstyles by Flora, a beauty salon she and my dad opened in Waipio Gentry 31 years ago.

Thank you, mom for the lifelong lessons. Till the next concert.