simply thankful for simple skills

13 May 2010

I haven't written in a while, but I did warn you in my last post that May was crazy. And it still is.

Half of May is over, and my long anticipated trip to Italy is on the horizon. My kids are counting down the days till we are out of here, so they can feast on non-organic food, white bread, and probably way too much soda. I, however, am counting down, as well. A Tuscan farmhouse for a week overlooking olive groves and vineyards, and a week in the ancient, Biblical city of Rome just waiting for me to explore her. (Well, maybe she's not waiting for me, but I like to think so.) Sorry, I'm daydreaming... back to the point.

This past week I have been washing clothes, doing minor repairs around the house, and mending a handful of things that have needed my attention. A swimsuit, a ruined dress, and two pair of shorts that required some adjustments had a date with me and my sewing machine. The tricky dilemma was the short alterations. I researched numerous how-to websites for a couple of hours, and finally came up with a solution which worked perfectly. The moment I tried the shorts on, I thought, "I am so thankful that my mom taught me how to sew!" And I meant it. I avoided paying outrageous alteration fees, and I had a sense of accomplishment. All thanks to my mom (the crazy lady making me laugh in the picture).

I also realized there are things we probably do every day (or at least every other day) that our moms (or some significant person in our life) taught us how to do.

• Make a pitcher of sweet tea (yes, I'm from the south)
• Frost a cake
• Plant a flower or vegetable garden (or both)
• Wrap a present
• Remove a splinter

Those are just a few things that we've all been taught, even if we just learned by observing. There are things that I do all the time that I learned from my mother. Things that make my life so much easier. Things that are essential to running a household. Things that every mom will need to know at some point.

What simple skill did you do today that your mom deserves the credit for? Nothing today? There will be something tomorrow. Think about it the next time you do laundry, cook spaghetti, swaddle a baby, write a thank you card, or bake cookies.

I'm truly thankful, Mom, for your sewing lesson 15 years ago. And so are my shorts.