I learned that it’s okay not to make the bed, not to iron your jeans, and to leave a pile of dishes in the sink, as long as you take time to sit on the kitchen floor and make Play-Doh snakes with your child. I learned that it’s perfectly acceptable to serve your guests a bag of chips and iced tea, if that’s all you have in the house。
My mother taught me, as an adult, that when a billes in the mail, to rip off the return stub, tuck it into the mailing envelope, and put a stamp on it right away. She taught me never to leave a load of wet laundry in the washing machine overnight in humid weather, because when you dry the clothes the next day, they’ll smell like a mildewed shower curtain. She taught me how to make potato salad, manicotti, and Rice Krispies treats. She taught me how to shop on sale, and that you don’t have to paint your face or dye your hair to be a beautiful woman at any age.
My mother taught me the Serenity Prayer. She taught me to listen to my inner voice. She taught me that, although she raised me in an org