My Mom with Lily and Emma

“All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my Angel Mother.”  -Abraham Lincoln

I just love Abraham Lincoln.  And judging by how he turned out, his mother must have been a wonderful woman.

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be Mother.  And what a powerful influence they can be.  I wonder what my legacy will be with my own children.  One thing I know for sure, I was blessed with a wonderful mother.  She has taught me so much, and I am very grateful.

My Mom has taught me many practical things about being a wife, mother and homemaker.  And she has also taught me a lot about living and happiness.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I want to share with you a top ten list of the best things my Mom has taught me:

1.  Find your passion and live it.  She found quilting and many years and hundreds of quilts later, she still can’t sleep at night when she is excited about a new project.  Quilting has gotten her through good times and bad.  She takes all the sorrow and joy in her life and puts it into her quilts.  Having a passion is one of the best ways to stay happy.

2.  Plan your meals a week at a time and pick up everything you need for the week in one trip to the store.  You save money and a whole lot of stress.

3.  Family is the most important thing in the world.  When the chips are down, they will always love you and come through for you.

4.  Traditions help to make life special.

5.  Take the time to teach your children how to really work.  It takes a lot longer to teach your four year old to sort dirty laundry… but it will pay dividends down the road.

6.  Make your dinner in the morning.  My Mom always prepared everything she needed for dinner in the morning.  Whether it was making the soup or marinating the chicken… she would chop, mix and prepare it early.  In her words, “Five o’clock is the most hectic time of the day, don’t leave your cooking until then.”  On the days I take my Mom’s advice and get it done early, my whole day seems to work better.

7.  Learn to love what’s simple… love simple food, simple pleasures and the rewards of hard work.

8.  Never worry about what hasn’t happened.  “You can’t borrow problems” she always says.  And she is right.  There are many things in my life I’ve spent time worrying about, that never came to be.  She taught me to be prepared and let it go.

9.  Learn to make delicious food and your home will never be empty.

10.  Enjoy the journey instead of the destination.  My Mom loves to hand quilt.  Many quilters don’t have the time or patience for it, but she loves making each stitch.  She also loves to fold warm laundry.  She loves to scrub her sinks.  She loves to roll out dough.  She has taught me that happiness can be found if you learn to love the things you have to do everyday.

Mom, thank you for all you have taught me.  I love you.

My Mom and me

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