When I was young, my parents went on date night once a week. They hired the only babysitter that my three siblings and I didn’t absolutely torture (thank you, Meredith) and hit the town to reconnect. Each week, I’d sit in my parents’ bathroom and watch my mom get ready for the date. Right before she left, she’d put on her favorite lipstick and plant a big kiss on my little hand. It was my very favorite feeling, smelling her lingering perfume and getting to keep my mom’s kiss with me all night.
It’s funny how each mom seems to have their own special sauce in that way…That thing they do that seems small but feels really big. The lesson? It’s the little things you do for people that they remember. It’s those small acts of kindness that stick with people like a lipstick tattoo.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge some of the best lessons and advice I’ve learned from my mother–the ones that transformed me in ways big and small. And to say the words that every mom deserves to hear: Thank you.
So, without further adieu: Mom, thank you for teaching me:
How to dress
If you ask most women where they get their sense of style from, I bet you at least 80% say their mom. Whether she’s a sporty spice who lives in shorts and a tee or dressed to the nines on the daily, watching your mom get dressed each day teaches you how to show up in the world as yourself–That it doesn’t matter what you wear but how you wear it. And that’s pretty freakin’ cool.
Composure
Raise your hand if you’ve seen your mother get subtly dissed by another parent in front of a brood of kids. Hand up? Cool, same. The art of navigating these *tricky* situations is doubly complicated by the audience of kiddos who soak up anything and everything that they witness. However, I guarantee that your mother handles it with utter grace and composure…And maybe even a little back-handed retort. The lesson? Don’t give a bully the satisfaction of a reaction.
To go to the freakin’ farmer’s market
Ya, you read that right. The farmer’s market may be overpriced but it is not overrated. Hand-picked flowers and farm-fresh cherry tomatoes? Thx for the advice mom.
To take pictures
And no, not the I-just-want-to-look-cool-on-social-media type of pictures, the pictures that you don’t want to take at the moment but end up hanging on the wall next to your staircase for 25 years that you’re planning to recreate with your siblings this summer. Lesson: You are the protector of your own memories. Oh, and stop acting like a brat and smile.
The sanctity of family dinner
If the words “Sure, bring your bestie or your boyfriend, but you will be at our house for dinner on Sunday” didn’t leave your mother’s mouth weekly, we clearly lived in different households. I don’t care if you eat takeout on the floor with your cat or host an elaborate dinner party with your 15 cousins every week, get off your phone and eat dinner with people (or pets) that you love, it’s the best way to make your week.
The importance of female friendship
You know those ‘walks’ your mom takes with her bestie every Wednesday at 7 AM? Ya, that’s called therapy. OK all jokes aside, watching our moms nurture their friendships despite having “remember to shower” on their to-do list teaches you how high friendship should be on your list of priorities. Supportive friends are the life-force behind every woman.
To say thank you
No but seriously: Thank you, mom.
