Thursday, March 14, 2013

Mother-Daughter Moments

As a chronic Pinterest-er, I find a lot of links for "10 things mothers should do with their daughters" and I think they are overly sappy and totally dramatic.

And it got me thinking of moments with my mom that I will treasure forever. I tend to dwell on less lovely memories, and that is no good for any of us.

I remember the summer before 6th grade, I was just hitting puberty. I had started wanting to dress more 'mature', but was really embarrassed about it. My mom took me into the Deb (the coolest place to shop at the time) and helped me pick out a pair of tiny plaid shorts with a black mock-turtleneck tank top, and also bought me some item of clothing that was cheetah print. What I remember about the shopping trip was trying on clothes that I desperately wanted but felt a little bit scared of, and having my mom reassure me and make me feel good about my body.

I remember she did the same with a blue tie-dye swimsuit the same year. And because she said I looked really good in it, I felt amazing every time I wore it. I actually remember the exact words she said, which were "There are no other people except 12 year old girls who look good in boy shorts. So flaunt them while you can!" And I did :)

I remember being in church next to my mom and trying to sing the hymn for the first time. She was so proud as I followed along in her hymnal, and when I looked up she was tearing up. After that I knew I wanted to sing forever.

I remember telling my mom I was pregnant, and being absolutely terrified. She was wonderful. She hugged me, she said congratulations, and she was very calm (at least outwardly) as she helped me deal with what came next.

I remember my mom letting me straighten her hair. And it turning into a giant ridiculous frizz ball. And instead of her being mad that I had made her look silly, she just laughed.

There are lots of "I remember" stories. And I think I need to remember them more often.

Stay tuned next week, when I will do "I remember" for my dad!