HIya, Friday. David's off to LA for a boy's weekend with his pals and Khan and I are still in bed, watching the news together. I'm going to Philly this weekend for some mom time- hoping you are with your moms this weekend too- self-medicate acoordingly (ha).
Ah, my mother. She is my biggest critic (why don't you ever brush your hair, you look pale, your eyes look sick), we spat often (mom, why are you telling me this, mom, I'm a little busy, mom, I told you what I do for a living 100 times), and she is afraid of the Internet (so don't worry, she's not reading this). I do love her to pieces but sometimes...oy. And though I would not say she armed me with a bevy of life skills or wisdom as I became a woman, I will say there are a few things she taught me that I still take to heart. And here are five of them, in case you were interested.
Buy outfits, not pieces. OK, I don't pay this one enough attention, but I should. My mother was quite the clotheshorse in her day and told me it was always wise to buy outfits, as in top and pants, skirt and blouse, as opposed to just piece meal things that don't go together. I've got a closet full of those aching for a better half so this is good advice. I know we live in an era of seperates, but wouldn't it be nice not to have to think about what goes with what?
Learn to cook about five things, really well. My mom was a good cook, and we had dinner on the table almost every night, home cooked at that. I'm not saying she was the Barefoot Contessa, but she did a few dishes really well, and we generally ate them every week. My biggest problem when it comes to food shopping is not having those staple meals, and boy I wish I did. I also wish my mom did not kick me out of the kitchen when I was a girl because she would say "you don't want to learn anyway". I think I did, mom. Didn't I? Oh well. Oh, and on that note- I did learn that having breakfast for dinner usually meant something was terribly wrong. To this day, i won't do it.
Always walk into a plane with your right foot first and tap the top of the plane. I still do this, always. I recently read Jennifer Aniston does this as well when she gets on a plane, so we have something in common. And yes, it's an OCD and not our love for basics.
Always bring something when asked to be a guest at someone's house for an occasion. I can't underestimate how much I take this one to heart. I come from a family that is overly generous, and well mannered when it comes to being a guest. Whether it's for coffee, cake, cocktails, appetizers, or dinner, I have never walked into someone's home without a bottle of wine, a bouquet of flowers, or a delicious dessert. It sounds so obvious, but trust me, many people are not raised to do that. Shame on them. This is one I would pass down if I had kids.
Beauty is painful. This one is from my grandmother but boy is it true. I remember my sister having her eyebrows tweezed by my grandmother and as I watched this horrid act as a little girl, I took it to heart as my talk show loving, Kent smoking, overly fabulous grandmother told us both that "beauty hurts". In this era of wax on, wax off (everywhere) we know this to be true.
You're now probably saying to yourself, "that's it"? That's what you learned? Yea, I know. These are not pearls of wisdom, at least not real pearls. But we all have something to learn from our mothers, like it or not, and that's what I got. I also learned to be nice to people for the most part, and greet somebody warmly when they come to your home. I hope she likes the purse I bought her as a gift, and if she doesn't, I will be the first to know. We all love our mothers, and as we get older and they get older, there are challenges but despite all of it we owe them a lot. They birthed us after all, and without them, we would not be alive to complain about them. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there- obviously the big topic when it comes to motherhood these days is that Time Magazine cover where a mom is nursing her 3 year old son, who looks to be about 15 and not a toddler. Guess breast milk does a body good. And though I'm not really in a position to talk about this (though I do have opinions) since I am not a mom myself, I shudder to think about this attachment parenting thing when it comes to my own life- the thought of sleeping in bed with my mother until I was a teenager would probably have made me completely insane. Pretty happy this attachment parenting thing was not a buzzed about topic when I was a kiddlywink. Phew.
Anyways, enjoy your moms this weekend- be kind, be patient, and shower them with love. And if you are a mom yourself, enjoy some much needed pampering. Here is a recipe for breakfast pizza I found online for all of you hubbies out there that want to do a nice breakfast for your wife and mother of your children. Looks like a great one so enjoy:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/breakfast-pizza/
Happy Mother's Day, friends. Yes, I know it's weird my mother is afraid of the Internet, but what are you gonna do? At least I know how to be a good dinner party guest. Cause that's what's up this maternal Friday in the 718. Big ups to the mommies out there- no idea how you do it. XO