7 life lessons from my mumma

I'm having a "I miss my mumma" kinda day. This in turn has made it a reflective kind of day. So many things about the way I live now is because of life lessons taught (read: ingrained into my system) by my mum. They sure didn't seem like pearls of wisdom back in the day but in retrospect, mum's always right isn't she?

Source: jackandfriends.com via Radhika on Pinterest

1. Read

Reading has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As kids, my mum went out of her way to take us to the library every few weeks and took an active interest in the books we read. She was always reading a new book and we had a bookshelf packed to the rafters. Reading opens your mind and introduces you to worlds you've never seen before, she always said to us. She couldn't be more right.

2. Eat your breakfast

In my school days, I liked to get every last minute of sleep possible and if that meant skipping breakfast, I'd give it a shot. But mum wasn't having any of it! You don't go to school without your breakfast and a glass of milk. Today, I know how important a meal breakfast is and my tummy is growling as soon as I'm out of bed.

3. Don't slouch
I was very self conscious as a kid because I was a beanstalk while my friends were still catching up. I slouched, trying (in vain) to look shorter and fit in with my classmates and cousins who were yet to catch up. Mum took every opportunity to tell me I was being silly and being tall wasn't a bad thing. She was  always annoying us to sit straight at the dinner table and being all superior-like with her ramrod straight posture.

Fast forward to the present day and I wish I'd listened to her more. I am Slouchy McGee at my desk very often and this gives me terrible back pains. I'm trying to consciously work on my posture more but should've just listened when I was 10!

4. Bananas are your friends
I've always been a fruit and veggie eater but I absolutely loathed bananas. If forced, I'd eat them only if they were at their perfect stage of ripeness, not too hard, not too soft. Squishy bananas made me want to throw up in my mouth. But mum never failed to tell us how good bananas were for you and I never failed to roll my eyes at her.

With the wisdom that only age can bring, I know now bananas are an excellent source of nutrients and are my favourite pre and post-workout snack and is the best way to stave off Hangry. Funnily enough, bananas always make me think of mumma.

5. Make up doesn't make you beautiful
This wasn't an active lesson as such. My mum never really wore much makeup. Her daily routine involved her compact powder, a touch of lipstick and the traditional Indian red bindi. And she looked beautiful. So I learnt that sure makeup helps, but it isn't essential to making you beautiful.

6. Drink water
Going to bed? Bring a bottle of water. Shopping trip? Bottle of water. Sit down to dinner? Bottle of water - check. My mum is obsessed with drinking water and I never understood it. A bottle of water is like an extension of her arm - always there when she needs it. Surprise, surprise - I do the same now. Never leave the house without water.

7. Mum knows it all
Finally, the most important life lesson of all - always listen to your mother. But whhhyyyy?

"Because I said so!"