It's appropriate at this time of year to think about lessons we learned from our mothers. Lucky for me, my mom is still with us. Here are a few things I learned from my mother that I'd likely pass down to my own daughter if I had one.
1) Learn to sew, needlepoint, stitch, whatever.
My love of needlepoint came through my mother, probably from her mother. She taught us all how to cross-stitch at an early age which morphed into needlepoint for me. My two sisters also know how to sew and stitch. I have stitched the canvas below (this is not my pillow though) and this is something that both my mother and grandmother would like.
Birds of a Feather Needlepoint Pillow
2) Buy good quality furniture
We never had much excess growing up like we do today. My mother wasn't and still isn't into having a lot of "stuff" but she always said buy good quality furniture and it will last a lifetime. She has most of the furniture now that she bought when I was a toddler. I've followed in her footsteps.
3) Create a "home" not a house
I love having a home and have taken great pains to make my house a home. My mother instilled this in my family. Home is where the heart is.
4) Look Polished
My mother is not a clothes horse but when it matters she looks like she walked out of
Town & Country. She wears her clothes and jewelry well when she needs to. It's a combination of posture, grace, dignity and looking nice. I hope I have that too.
5) Read
I'm always amazed that people don't read books anymore. I can't imagine what I'd miss without reading classics and the things I learn from reading. Right now I am reading this. I knew nothing about fashion in the 70's and Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. It's fascinating. My mother is a voracious reader.
We owe our mothers a lot. Aren't we lucky to have them?
