What I learned from my Mom
What I learned from my Mom by Amy Bendigkeit
Life is not "fair."
Separation of church and state is a good thing.
Color of skin does not matter. At all. Ever.
How to stretch a dinner for 6 to feed 20 in under 10 minutes.
and how to turn all the leftovers in your fridge, including anything unidentifiable into a delicious meal!
There is no such thing as too much butter.
Spend time pursuing your passions not cleaning your house.
Honesty always. And it's alright to put that in a letter if you can't seem to do it face to face.
Collect friends ~ and the more interesting and different from you the better.
Singing in the car is fun even if its just a 3 minute trip to the grocers.
That if you feed your friends a great meal they have to stay and watch ALL the dogs tricks afterwards(as well as sing ALL the camp MacLean songs around the table)
You can carry on after a tragedy.
It matters most what you think of you ~not what others think of you.
It's better to be a "Martha" than a " Mary!"
An afternoon in the garden digging in the dirt is always good for what ails you..
Stand by your man. Even if he always falls asleep after dinner at all the dinner parties.
Spend an uninterrupted hour with your spouse each day to catch up(aka: "cocktail hour") is not only fun but necessary.
That weekly date night is cheaper than therapy.
Create.
That it's ok to want obsessively to make things beautiful.
It's ok to want to own shiny things.
Love, whole heartedly, unconditionally, steadfast.
Pets of all kinds are a great source of love and comedy.
That if you trust how you've raised your kids, there is no reason for curfews and grounding.
Quit poking your sister~ you are lucky to have each other~ and we ARE!
Always skinny dip on a hot moon-lit nite
It's ok to make a fool of yourself if you are having fun.
Power tools are uni-sex.
Believing in someone over "helping them" is the best gift of all.
Listen to your gut.
It's ok to have expensive taste and an obsession with cashmere sweaters: just be prepared to work for it!
It's best to be a jack of all trades rather than a master of one.
Listen, really listen.
Antique shopping can be a sport.
That one of the best things in life is watching storms come in on the front porch of the lake house.
If everyone is acting weird or everything is going wrong, it is surely because it is a full moon phase; and if it isn't' then feel free to move to Australia!
Never give up: in what you believe in or what you want out of life.
And for the gift of showing me almost everyday since you passed ~
that you are still here with me and there is life beyond our physical existence here on earth!
I love you Mom!
Amy Bendigkeit
