What My Mother Taught Me

As usual, I am late. Mother’s Day was this past weekend, and I let the whole thing slip by without a post about my own moms.

I was going to write a long, lovely tribute to both of the mothers in my life, extolling the blessings of having not one, but two amazing (and dazzlingly different) mothers in my life -- mothers who have taught me what it means to be a caregiver, a friend, a wife and a daughter; mothers who surprise and delight me with their thoughtful gifts, their constant affection, and their unsolicited praise; mothers who tell me they actually like to read my blog. 

I was going to talk about the undeniable warm-fuzzies we all shared at brunch this Sunday. About how perfect it felt for all of us to be together, laughing at each other and gorging ourselves on a smorgasbord of carbs. And maybe I still will write about it, because I am indeed grateful for all of these gifts. And at the very least, I’ve got to share the blintz recipe.

But today, I am distracted by the more practical things I’ve learned from my (biological) mother.  Mother’s Day (week?) is as good a time as any to note some of her timeless wisdom. And I reserve the right to add to this list in the future. Here are just ten of the many things I’ve learned from my mother:

1. Start with a list. Or two.
2. Clean as you go.
3. Do it now.
4. Buy the one you love, not the one with the right price tag.
5. Leave two spaces after a period. (Unless you’re using a crappy blogging tool, then you’re subject to the whims of the techno-gods.)
6. Always keep a book and a cough drop or two in your purse.
7. Turquoise is a state of mind.
8. An hour with Lifetime television and a good head rub can soothe an ailing soul.
9. Never underestimate the power of a good cookie.
10. There’s no substitute for real butter.

And because I’m a sucker for aphorisms, I want to hear from you. What has your mother taught you? As a mom myself, I’m always curious about what sticks.

When you’re done leaving a bit of wisdom in the comment box below, go call your mom. I don't care how wonderful you are, you still don't call her enough. Go do it now. She’ll be so happy to hear from you.

Happy (belated) Mother’s Day to all!