- Life's not a dress rehearsal. I can still hear my mom saying this so clearly to me and my brothers. She was always encouraging us to make the most of every opportunity we had, and to live every day with purpose and pride. She wanted me to make every day count, regardless of where I was or what I was doing. I live by this mantra in almost everything I do; it's how I approach the ups and downs of life, it guides me on how to be the best mom I can be to my two kids, and it helps me embrace the challenges and successes of my business.
- The best meals are homemade. All of my favorite, go-to recipes are ones that my mom taught me. Her philosophy around making freshly prepared meals is at the core of my own cooking. When I make those recipes it always revives that connection to her, but what she really taught me in sharing these recipes was the importance of making home-cooked meals when you can because it gives you the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your kids, your family, your friends, or whoever happens to be at your dinner table.
- Let your house have elastic walls. My mom never turned away a guest from our home - whether they were invited or not! That hospitality was so important to her and so she would describe our house as having elastic walls, because there was always room for one more. Growing up, people were constantly coming over to our house, and it made it feel so full of life and happiness and good memories. That's something I've always tried to recreate in my own home for my kids.
- Do well by your body. My mom's lesson was when you do good by your body, it will do good by you. We were urged to lead active lifestyles and play outside as much as possible. This advice also rang true when it came to what we ate. My mom never had white sugar or white flour in the house and our fridge and countertops were endlessly full of colorful fruits and vegetables. She was all about an alternative healthy lifestyle, and this was wayyy before it was a thing!
- Make time for living. I learned so much about my own priorities and what's important to me in life by watching my mom live hers. She would, without fail, make every attempt to attend all the parties, weddings and joyous occasions she was invited to, regardless of how far she had to travel or how it might have disrupted her schedule. She'd say: "You have to make time for living" - and that's really what it's all about, celebrating life while we have it.
Looking at this photo, you could definitely say "I got it from my mama". Though it's not the facial features or sometimes impossibly thick hair that my late mom passed on to me that matters. What matters are the life lessons and words of wisdom that I carry with me everyday. So, in honor of this Mother's Day, I'm sharing the 5 lessons I learned from my mom.
Before I sign off I want to wish all the moms and moms-to-be out there a very happy Mother's Day! To all the sons and daughters out there, focus on celebrating the life lessons you've learned from your mom whether she's with you or not this coming Sunday - I know I will be.
With love,
Mel
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