9 Things Mama Said That I Should Have Listened To

My mom is my favorite person on this planet. She loves me and our family so well. I am her biggest fan and I admire her for many things. Her word means a lot to me, but some days I take her advice and some days I don't. Things I learned that I should have listened to are:

1. Be careful and slow down while you're driving.

I have established that parking is not my forte with this one, nor is driving beside mailboxes. It is pure luck that I haven't gotten a speeding ticket yet.

2. You're better than that.

She knows me best and she knows when I'm not at my best. She's always there to pick me back up and encourage me to be the best I can be.

3. He isn't worth it.

It's like she has this special radar when it comes to boys. She knows who is worth my time and who isn't. I'm thankful that she always told me what she thought of my boyfriends, because she was almost always right.

4. You're beautiful.

My mama's opinion of me matters a lot to me. She tells me that I'm beautiful all the time, and when I was younger I didn't think much of it. I thought "she's just saying that." But now that I am older, I know that she means it with all of her heart and always has.

5. You shouldn't wear that.

Not going to lie, I hated hearing this when I was growing up. Looking back on the outfits that I was trying to get out of the house in, I am so glad she spoke up. Some of them were ridiculous.

6. Don't drink caffeine this late, you won't sleep.

Even though now I purposefully drink caffeine to stay up late to finish homework and/or study for half of the night, I have lied awake many nights not being able to sleep because I didn't listen to her.

7. Don't sleep half the day.

I am 18 years old and I am just now getting why she always told me this. You can get a lot done on Saturday when you don't sleep half of the day.

8. It's cold outside, wear a jacket.

"Its not THAT cold," I said as I was walking out the door. Then, I shivered and froze because it was actually THAT cold outside. Most of the time I was not willing to admit that, though. Stubbornness is 20% of my personality.

9. Wear sunscreen.

I have ended up looking like a lobster so many times because of this one.

I am so thankful for my mom and all that she does for me. Putting up with me like she does is not an easy task. Plus, she takes care of my dog while I'm away at college (and lets face it, while I'm at home too, because I'm not so good at it) which is awesome. She's my hero and my best friend, there's not anything I wouldn't do for her.