What a Mother Teaches Her Daughter

I've always said that I don't want to be my daughter's friend. She's in college now, and nothing's changed.

- We're never EVER gonna be club pals. Hellllllll nawwwwwwwwwww!
- She's not gonna be able to be around me cussing up a storm.
- We won't get matching tattoos.
- Yes and No Ma'am will never become an outdated way of replying to my questions.
- I'm not going to hit her up for money when I blow through mine, or expect her to cover me on my bills.
- We will not date out of the same pool of guys.
- She can't ever hurt my feelings, and make me turn my back on her.
- No one will enter a room and catch us in a fist-fight.
- She's not going to be the one I call up when I need to vent about getting my heart broken.
- We won't enter a pact to get pregnant or give birth at the same time.

I love her. I've loved this child since all I knew about her was how sharp her elbows were because she had positioned herself in my belly in a way that projected those suckers into my rib cage. And because I love this child DEEPLY in a way that can never ever end, I will walk the walk and talk the talk and be someone she can always be proud of.

I will make good decisions so I can always be in a position to hold her up when the world tries to knock her off her feet.

So, my life will forever be focused on teaching my daughter life lessons:

- How beautiful she is inside and out.
- All the reasons she is SO love-able.
- How to keep things that hurt her from destroying her.
- Why family is so important.
- How to stand on her own two feet.
- Who to turn to when it seems like there's no one in her corner. (GOD)
- How important it is to know when to stay and when to go.
- That it's OK to fall down as long as she loves yourself enough to get up and keep it moving.
- Why she shouldn't waste energy on trying to make everyone happy.
- How I know that EVERY good thing comes from God.

My Momma did it for me. She RAISED me, and never stopped. Sometimes, I was a real spoiled brat, but she never did anything to tear me down. She RAISED ME. So now when I think of her I don't have a bunch of silliness clouding the vision of who she was.

A FUNNY, HARDWORKING, STRONG, BEAUTIFUL, SMART, LOVING, PASSIONATE, FORGIVING, GOD-FEARING MOTHER.

I know it's an old school concept, but it's one I've grown to love. Be a Mother to your daughter, so when she needs the experience, wisdom, and love you have to give, she always knows where to turn.

Sometimes, I have to glance back at an essay my daughter wrote, that reminds me of what she sees. http://lifeasitdoes.blogspot.com/2011/09/just-wow-what-did-i-do-to-deserve-this.html