Things My Momma Taught Me

My mother is the most beautiful person in the whole world. Inside and out. In my short 26 years on this earth, she has taught me so much. I'll name just a few:

1. You can never have too much black/gray in your wardrobe. I'm pretty sure she's got Hepburn blood running in her veins. She wears black almost constantly. And she looks fabulous in it.

2. We work before we play. I can still hear her voice when I was younger, rightly scolding me for playing when I hadn't finished that day's chores yet. It's a valuable lesson I hope to pass on to my children.

3. There's always something more to learn. My momma loves learning. She's always reading. And not just books. She's the person that got a MacBook and instead of getting someone else to show her how to use it, she got out the manual and read it. And got all giddy when she learned all the fancy finger-swiping tricks. It was adorable. All throughout my childhood, anytime I would ask her what a word meant, she would say, "Look it up." I'm not sure why I kept asking her what words meant when I knew she wasn't going to tell me.

4. Don't be a quitter. I've watched her go through difficult circumstances over the years. Circumstances that she could have easily just decided to stop trying at. But she didn't. She would ride it out till it was time to quit, not when she felt like it. This is why I was technically in marching band for all of 7th grade even though we moved halfway through and I was way behind the other kids at the new school and my teacher didn't even really make me play because I was so terrible.

5. Make lists. Make list of your lists. To do lists. Packing lists. Shopping lists. I used to make fun of her for her lists. But I can't do that anymore...because I got the list making bug. Here I am, making a list of things she taught me. So yeah. #allthelists

6. Despite your circumstances, Jesus is always enough.

7. Having a hairdresser you trust is crucial to happiness. Yes I know this contradicts #6. I'm being hyperbolic.

8. Love is not always mushy gushy. I've gotten so many hugs and kisses over the years, but I also got tough love. And I'm so thankful for that.

9. She taught me how to sew.....twice.

One more. And it's a biggie.

10. She taught me how to cook. She is a fabulous cook and she has loved her family and many other people well with her delicious meals. Some of my most precious memories with my Momma are in the kitchen, with our aprons on, chopping, sautéing, tasting, laughing. She loves food and she passed down that love to me. And for that I am forever grateful.

I could go on and on with the depths of wisdom my mother has passed down to me. And I'm still learning from her. I am so thankful to call her my Momma and best friend. Happy Mother's Day, Ravishing Rita! I love your guts!

-JRae

What is one of your favorite things your mother taught you?