4 lessons from mom

Mothers are great at teaching us lessons. We learn important stuff from our moms, most of which we only realize are useful and valid long after we grow up.

Before I wrote this post, I was reflecting on some of the lessons my mother taught me. Some of these lessons are comical, some of them are gender-specific (meaning mother to daughter) but all of them are true and have shaped my adult personality into what it now is. (whether I like it or not!)

Some things I learned from my mom.

1. Hold the things you love closely.

Now, I don't just mean teddy and blanky (as in my case in this picture) but more specifically, hold the people you love closely. Spend time with them. Learn from them. Sleep with them. (well, you get what I mean...)

2. Always respect authority.

Whether we're referring to God, the law, my parents or just my Troop Leader, my mother instilled in me a healthy respect for those who are in authority. She also imparted with me a reverent fear for God. Not that he's waiting to destroy me but that his sovereignty cannot be questioned. His ways are higher than my ways and it will always be so. Along the same lines, she taught me to respect her and my father not because they are my friends or benefactors but because they are my parents.

3. Dress to impress.

If any of you have ever had the chance to meet my mother and/or grandmothers you know that we are a line of women who are not afraid of fashion. We are also from a line of women who love to shop....a lot... and being from the southern tradition there are lots and lots of fashion dos and don'ts. I'm not ashamed to say that I still ask my mom for fashion advice quite often. Among the many fashion tips that she imparted to me are to never wear white before Easter (which I still adhere to), always wear a clean pair of panties (because you never know if you'll be in an accident) and the power that a nice swipe of lipstick has on improving one's demeanor.

4. Revel in the small joys.

Growing up in the Carolinas, we don't get a lot of snow. When we did, everything would pretty much stop and we'd goes outside to play in it. Even if there's only about a 1/2 inch of snow, we'd layer up our clothes and go outside...with Mom inside watching us and making up some hot chocolate for when we came back in. Last Christmas we had a LOT (read 5-6 inches) of snow and even though I wasn't home with my parents during the snow, I saw pictures where they had gone out by themselves to play in it. But whether or not I'm talking about enjoying snow days, reveling in the victory of sewing my first skirt or getting a promotion, or even advocating taking a "mental health day" off from work, my mom taught me that relishing the small joys make for a life that is genuinely happy and content.

There are so many more lessons I learned from my mom that I could write about, but I'm afraid I'd tend to be too specific at that point. I mean, not EVERYONE can benefit from my mom's advice on how I should style my hair...so I'll abstain from sharing those. But I DO hope that whether your mother is with you or not, you'll be able to reflect on how she has had an impact on your life...fashion sense and all.

Happy Mother's Day.