Category: Lifestyle

Hello Everyone!

It’s Mother’s Day weekend, & what better way to show some love & appreciation to my wonderful mamma than to reflect on some key life lessons she has taught me over the years.

My mom & I are very close & talk almost every day, so there are endless amounts of lessons learned from her, but today, I want to share 5 with you. (Imagine that…;))

1. Show Them Your Passion

My mom has been my biggest fan & my emotional support system during my career as a professional dancer. In fact, she is coming to NYC today to watch me perform at the Joyce Theater! But before it was my job, I had countless performances, showcases, summer intensives, & auditions where I had to prove myself as a dancer. It took a lot of guts & confidence boosting, which my mamma was & still is always so good at doing. The one phrase she repeated to me time after time was, “Show them your passion”. In that moment, hearing those words, I was calm, I knew that I could go out there and pour my heart out because even if I messed up, I always had someone who believed in me.

Thank you, mom, for never doubting me, & always lifting my spirits to push me toward my goal.

2. Kiss Lots Of Boys

When I was in middle school & early high school, I had the plan that I wasn’t going to kiss anyone until I was engaged to them. I know…I was crazy. I never wanted to casually date. I was very serious about finding my husband. But let’s be honest, what middle schooler or even high schooler is husband material? My mother, knowing this (even though she married her high school sweetheart), encouraged me to kiss lots of boys! I thought she was crazy for saying that at the time, but what a valuable lesson, am I right? I mean, I haven’t kissed lots of boys, but it freed me from searching for a “husband”, & instead finding a best friend (and a good kisser…)

Thank you for saving me from a potential disaster! 😉

3. Break the (Fashion) Rules

I went to an extremely strict school (on my own accord, I am weird & love rules) with a ridiculously strict dress code. One of the rules being no holes in your jeans. Because of this rule, every time my mom came to my school, she would wear her ripped jeans, just because she could. & she rocked them! What a great lesson in fashion. Don’t wear something because someone else likes it or not wear something because someone says it’s wrong. Fashion is an expression of your personality, wear it because it makes you happy.

Thanks mom for encouraging me to break the fashion rules!

4. Love Pretty Things
I like to say I’ve inherited my love of flowers, candles, & capturing photos from my mom. I have such fond memories of seeing my mom working in the garden, & our house filled with warm scented candles. She still loves candles, & when either of us finds a particularly “yummy” one, the other MUST get it. My love of photos & capturing every moment, I’m sure, comes from watching my mom work for hours on end to beautifully craft personalized scrapbooks for my siblings & I. Savoring those memories and turning them into works of art, hmmm seems familiar…
Thanks mom for instilling the love of beautiful things. They brighten my day just like you.
5. Be Kind
Honestly, my mom has taught me so much about kindness. About genuine love even for those I’ve never met. Every single person deserves love & kindness even if they haven’t show those things to me. Kill them with kindness, if you will. The best part is, she hasn’t taught me kindness with just her words, but through her life. I’ve seen it displayed even when it’s hard. It challenges me to reflect on who I am and how I treat other people.
Thank you for for being someone I can always look up to. I am so proud to call you my mom.