Cheese, Wine, And Other Things I Learned From My Mom

I know, I know: literally EVERYONE says their mom is amazing, Wonder Woman, all-powerful, all-knowing, wisdom-giving, beautiful beyond compare, strong beyond belief. But my mom *actually* is. (Not that other people's moms aren't... my mom just kicks ass more than your mom). Mom-bragging aside, my mom isn't amazing just because some Mother's Day card told me to say so: she's amazing because of what she taught me, how she raised me. Through her strength and integrity, she has positively impacted my life for the rest of my life.

Tell the god-damn truth. I knew from the time that I was small that I wouldn't get in trouble for messing up, I would get in trouble for lying about it. Honesty was always the best policy with my mom, and now it's become a way of life for me. I am terrible at lying, and sometimes that makes situations more difficult for me (thanks mom), but that's life. To be honest always makes it so that you must face the uncomfortable situations, not skirt around them to keep everyone happy. 

Keep commitments. From plays to sports, my mom insisted that I stick through all my activities even when things got hard. Even if I was anxious, worried I would fail, not making friends as quickly as I thought I should, she would insist I work through it and don't give up. 

Express yourself. I don't know if you can tell by all the expletives yet, but my mom isn't afraid to tell people when she's mad. As a woman, I find myself bombarded with tales of nice princesses and happy girls doing happy frilly soft quiet things. My mom blows through that stereotype by laughing loud, cursing when she means it, and telling it like it is.

Eat the f**in cheese. Any time my maman and I get together, we eat the cheese and drink the wine! Working hard and having integrity makes you strong, but cheese and wine make you joyous. Let yourself be happy and enjoy life! It is good for the soul. 

Thank you, Maman, always, for all of it. 

Love, 

Brooke

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