"Mom-isms"- A Belated Tribute

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"You'll understand when you're older."
     Um... some things, yes.  Like, I distinctly remember pulling a tampon out of her purse when I was little and asking what it was.  lol.  I must have been a seriously inquisitive kid (shock, shock), because I still remember feeling frustrated at this answer quite often.

"You'll feel better when you get up and get dressed."
     Mom always made us get up and get ready for school even if we complained that we were sick.  Nine times out of ten, we ended up feeling fine.  I still do this when I am sick and it works the same way.  Something about the very early morning makes you feel sicker than what you actually are and once you're up and around (face washed, hair combed), you realize that you at least feel good enough to carry on.

"Clean up the kitchen before you go to bed.  And always wipe down the faucet."
     If there is one thing I can picture Mom doing, it's wiping down the faucet and countertop at the kitchen sink with a dry dish towel at the end of the evening.  It's the last step of cleaning up that makes all the difference.  Try it.

Using china and cloth napkins for dinner company.
     Mom and I are different in many ways, but one thing she passed to me is a love of (or at least dedication to) setting a pretty table for company.  Although she only had one set of good china, I don't ever remember her hesitating to use it no matter who was coming.  There was never an impression of valuing the china more than the guest.  She taught me by example that setting a pretty table is a way to honor guests and show hospitality by sharing the best of what you have.

No paper towels, but t-shirt rags galore.
     This one will probably make you laugh.  It was a rare occasion to have paper towels under the kitchen sink when we were all at home.  But, boy could you find some rags cut from old t-shirts!  Seriously though, isn't it genius?  I'm not completely anti-paper towel (and neither was she), but why spend money on something you just throw away, when you can use something you throw away and save a little money?  Can I say that again?

Why spend money on something you just throw away,

when you can use something you throw away and save a little money?

     For those of us who are creeped out by the re-using of rags that once cleaned a toilet, a roll of paper towels under the bathroom sink can last an amazingly long time.  Other than that, rags (old t-shirts, old socks, nasty stained dishtowels, etc) work great!

Plastic baggies hanging from cabinet doors.
     Yes, Mom washed and reused Ziploc bags.  I do too.  Unless, of course, they are simply too nasty to clean (i.e. Italian dressing from marinating chicken).  Plastic bags are dadgum expensive and it frets me every time I have to spend money on things that just get flushed or thrown away.  After washing, I hang the corner of the bag between the face of an upper cabinet and the cabinet door to dry, just like she did.

I'm so thankful for the godly example that my mom continues to be.  Because of her, I know what it looks like to live out God's perfect order of headship.  Because of her, I kow that routine helps maintain sanity.  Because of her, I know how to set a table and I know the blessing of true hospitality from the heart.  I know because I've seen it in her.

I love you, Mom!