7 Things I Learned From Having A Beautiful Mother

Growing up it was always something I just knew and was very well aware of, the fact that I had a mother who was prettier than most was just a part of life.  Being out in public with her and watching the heads of everyone we passed turning to take a second look, the sideways glances, the fumbling awkwardness of men trying to get her attention, it was all something I was used to before I could even speak.  I will never forget walking alongside my mom and her shopping cart at the A&P (our local grocery store at the time) when I was no more than 5 years old.  Out of nowhere this guy rushes up and hits his knees (literally, I am not lying) and grabs my mom's hand and the first words out of his mouth were "you have to marry me!!!"  That   literally   happened.  I remember looking up at my mom thinking what in the world as she just laughed the boy off nonchalantly.  I remember thinking how I couldn't wait for boys to throw themselves at my feet when I was older.  Well, I'm 36 years old and I have never had a man do it yet, haha.  (My own fiancé didn't even get on his knee when he proposed).    Being raised by this type of beauty has been both a blessing and a curse, so today I thought I would share with you some valuable lessons it has taught me along the way.

When you have a pretty mom you always feel like society is judging you and expecting you to be as pretty as she is - Being compared to your mom or being held to her standard of beauty is just part of having a pretty mom.  I love that half of my DNA comes from my mother, but the other half of my DNA comes from somebody else, so it's impossible for me to look just like her.  I would love to have her sky-high cheekbones and chiseled jawline, but it's a fuller, rounder face I see when I look in the mirror.  Even if I might not live up to the outside world's expectations, I've always been a beauty in my mom's eyes, just the way I am.  I am my mother's daughter, but I am my own person as well.

Being beautiful doesn't mean you know it or feel it - Being part of the very average looking population lol, I am as self-conscious and unsure of myself as most other women typically are.  What's surprising to see is that even the most beautiful people have the same struggles us ordinary gals do.  You would think that they would have an awareness and an appreciation of the gifts God blessed them with, but they are just as human as the rest of us.  The humbleness that comes with being so pretty and not even knowing you are, well, that makes you even prettier.

You're never jealous of their beauty, it actually makes you really proud -  I love when people tell me what a pretty mom I have.  It makes me happy to see other people appreciate how she looks just as much as I do.  My heart swells with pride when others tell me how pretty she is.  She's mine and I love how she looks, so feel free to tell me as often as you'd like.

Being told you look like your mom is the greatest compliment someone can give you - Growing up kind of in the shadow of a classic beauty and eventually maturing into a woman, you realize how lovely it is for others to notice your resemblance.  Nothing makes me happier than to hear I look like my mama.  I know it's a compliment and I certainly take it as such.

Even though I doubt myself, someone who's beautiful thinks I'm beautiful too - Through all of my awkward and downright homely stages in life (losing teeth, puberty, weight struggles, acne, perms, etc.) she has always told me I am pretty.  She has celebrated my victories and shared my pain when I have failed.  If nobody else in this world was in my corner, my mom was always there, cheering me on and loving me the way only she knows how to do.  Beautiful moms are just like every other mom, they love you with all they have and think you're the best thing since sliced bread.

Being genuine and good is more important than any physical attribute you'll ever have - I don't think I have ever heard my mom brag about herself or anything she owns or anything like that in my entire life.  She is humble and giving and just a really decent person.  Being good to other people is something she instilled in us from a very early age.
Pretty is as pretty does.

No matter how pretty you naturally are, every barn looks better with a little paint - When I told my mom I was going to do a blogpost about her, I asked her what first came to mind when she thought about her beauty regimen.  Her response?  Tan, long hair, and lots of makeup.  Ha!  That pretty much sums up my mom's style completely!  She's always had a long, dark mane and that is still the case today.  She gets her Vita Liberata self-tanner on auto-ship and loves Revlon Photoready foundation.

-My mom today (with my niece).  Still just as beautiful at 59 years of age!

If you're still blessed enough to have your mom, then call her and tell her you love her!  Make time for your loved ones and always let them know what they mean to you.  Life is fleeting and we are never promised a tomorrow!

xo.
Erica