A few weeks ago, my students read "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid. In it, a bitter mother gives advice to her daughter, advice that's supposed to successfully guide her into womanhood.
And it got me thinking about all that I'd learned from my mom. So, over the past few weeks, I've been working on the following post. In honor of Mother's Day, and with loads of appreciation for my sweet mother, I bring you MY version of "Girl"; enjoy!
Set your glass in the middle of the table; you don’t want to knock it over, do you? Never rub stains; always dab them. You don’t want them to set in your clothing. This is how you squat over a public toilet seat. This is how you brush the tangles from your hair; start at the bottom and work your way up. This is how you compare prices; look at the price per ounce, not the total price. This is how you use coupons; this is how you buy generic. Don’t skimp on toilet paper, though.
This is how you sift flour; this is how you measure a cup of flour by scraping the top with a knife. this is how you crack an egg and separate the whites; this is how you test the griddle to see if it’s hot; this is how you cream butter and eggs and sugar together. Always make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature.
Do your schoolwork before you play outside; don’t ride your bikes in the middle of the road. Always wear a helmet; don’t ride around the sharp curve! Come in when the streetlights come on; be careful of snakes in the woods. This is how you check your body for ticks; this is how you check between your toes for ticks; this is how you check behind your ears for ticks.
This is how you shape your fingernails; this is how you braid your hair; this is how you fishtail braid; this is how you French braid. This is how you put on mascara, but you can’t wear it until you’re in high school; you don’t need makeup right now. This is how you tan without burning (sorry I gave you my pale skin). Watch old movies and cartoons; stay away from raunchy TV shows; you don't want to fill your head with garbage, do you? This is how you dress without attracting unnecessary attention to your body; this is how you put on pantyhose without tearing them. Please don't jump over anymore bushes in your tights, Christine! This is how you wear shorts under your skirt so you can play soccer during recess.
This is how you memorize Bible verses; this is how you memorize all the books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy…all the way through Malachi). This is how you memorize the Ten Commandments. This is how you sing lullabies; this is how you rub your daughter's back when she's throwing upon the toilet; always throw up in the toilet and never the sink, because the sink will get clogged. This is how you make a REALLY YUMMY peanut butter and jelly sandwich; butter the bread and cook it like grilled cheese.
This is how you pray for your kids; pray for their future spouses; pray for their safety. You won't be perfect, and you will make mistakes, so pray a lot. This is how you serve a family; this is how you love unconditionally; this is how you be the mother God has called you to be.
Love you, Mom <3
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