I heard Oprah say that nothing was more beautiful than seeing the gentle outline of panties under a sheer cotton dress in the summer time. You know what I thought, girl, you were raised in the South, what are you thinking? The only outline my momma had better seen under my dress was the hem of my slip.

If you ask my girl to name one of the most traumatic things about her childhood she will probably say, “when my mom embarrassed me in front of a group of people because I wasn’t wearing my slip”. Every time she brings that up, I am the embarrassed one. What was I thinking?

That’s what mommas do, teach. Well, and embarrass sometimes, but hopefully, teach.

A beautiful southern belle, momma taught me how to put on my makeup and wear a slip under my dress. How to make sweet tea and cornbread, with a side of purple hull peas. She taught me to pluck my eyebrows (No, we didn’t wax. We were poor.), and accessorize. That I wasn’t supposed to wear my white shoes (or pants) before Easter and after Labor Day, that our toenails should be painted when we are wearing sandals, and we all need a little lipstick.

She is still teaching me how to live life to its fullest, when it’s beautiful and when it’s ugly.

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love  – and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Reading this scripture reminds me of my momma.

Her faith has been honed through struggle and heartache. She walks every day speaking faith into situations that would make most of us run or faint.

That girl can find joy in the most difficult circumstances. She has shown me that in life you can keep going even when life tells you that the mess is too deep or the heartache to painful. I don’t remember a time that she didn’t have hope for a better day. She always says, “If you can get a good nights sleep, you can face anything.”

She loves her family with a love that is inclusive. We don’t have to act a certain way or attain certain accomplishments. The Bible is her standard and she believes in its truth. Her love covers our sins with her prayers, as she stands in the gap for us in when her children, or grands, or great-grands get in all manner of craziness.

Momma continues to show us how to enjoy people, commit to a church, and participate in life with them. She was the mom that drove me and my friends around the McDonald’s parking lot so I could see if “he” was there, and the one that stood in line for hours to buy us Elvis tickets. And, bought me a new outfit just in case Elvis happened to see me in the crowd :)

Oh my goodness, and how to laugh, and how to show the world you can have loads of fun.

Mom wasn’t one to make a lot of home-baked sweets, but she did make brownies. They were simple, and oh so good, made with ingredients she always had in the kitchen. She taught me how to make them at an early age, and as a little gift, I’m sharing her recipe with your today. Just click Momma’s Brownies and you can download the recipe card. I made them yesterday, and they were just as good and easy as they were when I was making them at twelve years old.

Gosh, I want to be more and more like her as I grow up.

I honor Mom on Mother’s Day as well as my sweet mother-in-law. When I think about it, I am surrounded by strong, courageous, loving women – my amazing daughter and my beautiful sister , aunts and nieces, cousins and sister-in-laws, spiritual daughters, and dear girlfriends. I was blessed to have grandmothers that left a legacy of love and faith.

Grandmothers, who I am sure, taught their girls to remember their slip and to wear a little lipstick.

Do you have fun memories of your mom? I would love for you to share them.