Lessons I hope I've given (so far)

With so much tragedy in the world, sometimes I can't help but think about what would happen to my girls if I were taken from them today.  Obviously, they have a father and a family that love them to pieces.  So, I don't worry about them as far as the day-to-day life.  Although, I'm pretty sure no one would braid Maya's hair to her exact specifications, or patiently wait for Eva's peace to return, or know exactly which friends Sofia holds the most dear.  I mostly worry if they would remember anything about what I'm trying to teach them.  As their mother, I try to slip in life lessons wherever I can.  Sometimes they are overt, "Brushing your teeth will make people want to stand closer to you when you speak to them."  And, sometimes they are snuck in when they aren't looking, "Wow, you seem to have really pulled yourself together after taking some deep breaths!  What a great idea!"  Here are a few of the other things I hope they were paying attention to:

Do not mumble.  If you can't say it to their face, don't mumble it behind their back.

A walk in the warm sunshine can cure anything.

The right shoes, the more sparkly the better, can turn any day from boring to fabulous.

Look people in the eye when you're talking to them so they know you're telling the truth.

And, look them in the eye when they are speaking so you can see the truth in their words.

Lying makes everything worse.

Two things you will never really get back once they're gone:  trust and respect.  Even after forgiveness, the sting of betrayal always lingers.

You can forgive someone a million times; but if they keep doing the same thing a million times over, they're probably not worth your forgiveness.

No one will ever love you more than your mama.  Yes, you will have plenty of people in love with you; but none of them agreed to have you grow inside them, deform their body, have you ripped from their belly, and then let you run free through the world finding your own separate happiness.

Be yourself.  Anyone who tries to change you is blind to your perfection.  And, who wants to be someone's guide dog for the rest of their lives?!

Comb ALL of your hair, not just the part you can see from the front.  And, brush all of your teeth, not just the ones you can see from the front.  Finally, don't ever let anyone take a photo of you from behind, only what you can see from the front.

Eating healthy will not kill you, but it also won't make you a ton of friends when it's your turn to bring snacks.

When you're a mother, a hundred years from now... unless you take my advice and join a convent, you will gladly lay down your life for your children. 

Don't ever give up.  Trying and failing beats quitting every single time.

Take responsibility.  You can't blame everything that goes wrong on someone else.  Your mistakes are yours, own them.

Do I have more to teach them?  Probably, but only after I learn the lessons first.  Will they remember any of it, hopefully.  If I get taken from them tomorrow, I can only cross my fingers that they'll do more than worry who's going to make the pancakes.