1. I know you’re more worried about what’s going on at school right now than spending time with your family, but one day, you’ll enjoy being with your Mom so much you’ll take road trips to some really pretty places together.
(1a. Pay more attention to the things she writes to you in those cards she leaves on your bed.)
2. When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Take half the clothes and twice the money. (Heller)
3. Start each day by looking up. It’ll widen your horizon.
4. The human spirit needs places where nature hasn’t been rearranged by the hand of man. Take more walks in the woods!
5. You know all that weird “old stuff” your Mom thinks is so cool right now? (screen doors, stone chimneys, old windows) You’ll be crazy about it all one day, too.
(5a. You’ll love that kind of stuff so much you’ll even start a blog about it.) (PS- I know you don’t know what a blog is right now, but trust me, you’ll be crazy about those too one day.)
6. Those architectural drawings your Mom works on in her office may not intrigue you now, but one day, you’ll be passionate about drawing rooms to scale for people too. Ask her questions about what she’s working on and take notes!
7. This may be hard to believe, but weeding the garden isn’t going to kill you.
(7a. one day, you’ll wish you had enough time, talent and space to grow all the amazing things your Mom does!)
8. Life is like riding a bicycle – in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. (Einstein) Follow your heart and fight for your dreams!
9. Riding bike might not seem like a very “cool” thing to do right now, but one day you’ll see a grass green Schwinn cruiser that’ll take your breath away.
10. Buy a bike now and ride it whenever you can! There are awesome bike trails all over the place, just ask your Mom.
11. In late September, spend less time looking at your cell phone (again, that will make sense later in life), and more time looking at the trees explode with color.
(PS- You aren’t going to meet and marry Jon Knight from NKOTB, but don’t worry- there’s another music man out there whose heart has your name written all over it.)
12. Pay more attention in photography class. There’s a road from the eye to the heart that doesn’t go through the intellect (Chesterton) and one day you’ll slam on the brakes to take pictures of things you don’t even notice are beautiful right now.
13. Ask your Mom to teach you how to cook. If you don’t take the time to learn how to do it now, you’ll be eating cereal, sandwiches and Stouffer’s when you’re 37. I’m not kidding.
14. Cherish the sky-blue painted wood floor in your bedroom. One day, you’ll want to paint the wood floors in your own home, but you’ll be too scared to do it!
15. Do not, I repeat, do not try to use a fire escape ladder to sneak out your second floor bedroom window this year. You will regret it. I promise.
16. Being grounded isn’t the worst thing in the world. When you get older, you’ll actually enjoy sitting still.
17. I hate to break it to you, but you will always be afraid of the dark. Invest in a good nightlight and take it with you wherever you go!
18. The three C’s of life are choices, chances, and changes. You’ve gotta make a choice to take a chance in order to change. (unknown)
(18a. The 4th C should be for Chex mix. Not only will you carry a bag of it wherever you go when you’re 37 years old, but in a pinch, you’ll also use it to king your checkers on one of the road trips you take with your Mom that year.)
19. Someone is totally right about that whole water thing. Sweat, tears, and the sea can cure anything.
20. At different points throughout your adult life, your inner fire will go out. Don’t worry. Spend time with people who can rekindle your inner spirit and don’t ever forget to tell them how much they mean to you.
21. When it comes to solving problems, dig at the roots. Don’t just hack at the leaves. (D’Angelo)
22. Sometimes, the most important thing in a whole day is the rest you take between two deep breaths. (Hillesum)
23. You might not ever figure out exactly what you want to be when you grow up, but that’s okay.
Your parents are totally cool with your artsy-fartsyness and life is more about the journey than the destination anyway.
24. Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. (D’Angelo)
25. Be like the color yellow as much as possible. Sunny, optimistic and cheerful!
26. Read more books. Someday you’ll want to write one.
27. Blog about your road trips with your Mom and include lots of pictures so you can relive the memories you shared with her for years to come.
Some of them will instantly transport you back to the day Mother Nature seemed to be celebrating her very presence by showering her with crunchy “leaf confetti” every time the wind blew extra hard. (Remember how she had to guard her coffee from the celebration!)
Some of them will bring back memories of exploring interesting places, sipping wine out of tiny juice glasses, and making up your own rules because neither of you knew how to really play…
And fortunately, some of them will be there for you to witness over and over again…
Kelli
Beautiful post! We could use these reminders at any age! ps- the photos are absolutely STUNNING!
Luciane At HomeBunch.com
I’m only 6 weeks away to give birth to my 3rd child. I love my mother but she’s too far away, and all that I really wish in my soul right now is to mean something to my kids as your mother means to you. Be a good mother is my biggest goal in life. So hard sometimes… interesting, but no matter how much you give to yourself you’ll always wonder if you’re doing right. I hope I am.
This post touched my soul.
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
Paulette
Oh my word, what incredible pictures/memories…and being with your Mom! So many of your comments resonated…I was way too cool and much too busy to appreciate the time with my parents and now some of my fondest memories are those childhood scenes. Thanks for a beautiful post, Layla!
Kim
Oh my Layla, what a lovely post! Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time and do things over again, but back then I wouldn’t have listened to such sage advice. Thanks so much for sharing!
Ashley in Nashville
It’s interesting that you should post this today, as I decided just last night that I need to spend more time talking and walking with my mom. Thanks for the reminder!
Becky Neville
This is fabulous! It made my day!
Shannon @ {aka}|design
Layla that post was beautiful! You made me tear up. And now I want to take my mom On a roadtrip!
xo,
Shannon
Kristen
Beautiful post and beautiful pictures….thank you for sharing!
Dineen
What a beautiful post!!!!!
sAMI
Simply breathtaking! Thank you, this post is the best.
SuzyMcQ
L-
You’ve accomplished some pretty incredible decorating, but this is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever done. The best quote….your own about sweat, tears and salt water. I love that.
Maureen
Lovely post! I’d also tell her that nothing lasts forever, not the good or the bad. Learn from the bad and take the time to enjoy the good!
Candace D
It’s amazing how much wiser we get when we get older! This was beautiful and the photos are so pretty! Thanks for sharing!
Karina
Layla, as I read this post, I began to cry. Your words are what I would tell my own 18 year old daughter right now. We have had a distant relationship for the past few years, and everyone keeps telling me that it will get better when she “grows up”. And recently she has moved out into an apartment, and I think our relationship is on its way to healing. Spending time with your mother is something you can carry in your heart forever. I am spending the weekend up in Traverse City, Michigan this weekend with my mother and sister, visiting winerys and enjoying the changes of colors that Michigan offers so willingly. I hope to one day share that with my own daughter. But until then, I will continue praying and hoping. Thank you so much for sharing your photos, your thoughts and your memories. I love all the things you share here on your blog. Hugs to your mom, from another mom! Peace.
– Karina
Karen
I am totally in love with the post. I will definitely be forwarding this on to my daughter so many miles away. One of my goals is to take a long road trip with her.
Stephanie
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome……and Amazing.
Thank you!
cherylK
Wow, what a great post! Beautiful observations, a lovely tribute to your mom and beautiful photographs!
Joanne
Layla..I have always looked forward to seeing what you and your husband are up to, but this post was by far my favourite. I lost my mother this past May and I have to say what I read today brought tears to my eyes. Tears of gratitude for the things I got to do with her and tears of sadness for the things we never got to do. Your writing is just beautiful. Thank you.
Jennifer
What a wonderful post…you made my day. Thank you!
Becky
This is just beautiful! Brought tears to my eyes! I am 56 years old and very close to my 78 year old mother and my 27 year old daughter. These thoughts are all so true. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve copied a few of your “words of wisdom” to use sometime! Thanks for sharing these lovely thoughts! 🙂
Jackie M
Tiger Beat! LOL, my 17 year-old self was doing the same thing! Sigh…now if only I could find MY own cute music man 🙂
patty reed
Layla,
Wow… i am at work and tearing up at my desk trying to look serious..I always love your posts, but this one was over the top….. i would say so many of the same things to my younger me…
I would love a trip like this with my mom.. Im pea green with envy!
So glad you had a great time!
Judy
You have obviously touched many people with this well-written, sensitive post…I, too, have that special relationship with my daughter, and I know she will pay it forward with her three girls. Your mom is truly honored by your simple, personal expression of love and wisdom. Thank you.
Janny
Beautiful post…stunning pictures. Inspirational. Thank you!
Pattyb
WOW! Thanks for sharing…just a wonderful, helpful, inspiring post! I am going to send this to my teen-age nieces! WHAT a Blessing!~ Bless you~
Annie
Oh my. Beautiful….pictures and words. Crying here.
Brian GadgetSponge
Fantastic post. One of your best since I started following.
Heidi Ferguson
Your post brought tears to my eyes. I am so guility of rushing, rushing, rushing…no matter what day it is-it’s always filled with lots of things to check off. I have been so busy getting my own blog up and running and spending every waking hour getting all those Halloween/Fall posts up and on the blog. Yesterday, I just stopped-called my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law to see if they wanted to go to lunch. I called my husband and we all met for lunch-something that hasn’t happend in a while. I felt so content and happy afterwards. Your post today just reiterated to me that I did the right thing! By the way…my new blog is http://www.browneyedgirlygirl.com and I KNOW THAT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING MY PICTURES FROM THE COUNTRY LIVING FAIR IN ATLANTA LAST YEAR (I didn’t share these pictures with anyone last year because I was waiting to get my blog up and going. I was busy beating breast cancer (I’m 37) and held a lot of my ideas until I could get things going. Thanks so much for your inspiration daily! Heidi in Atlanta
Kim
What a GREAT [pst…it made me miss my momma!!! So thankful you and your mom had such a great time and you will treasure those memories…WOW – what wisdom & great advice!!!
Ann W
What do you mean, Jordan Knight? You got your own rock star. That afraid of the dark thing goes away eventually. You also stop having dreams about being late for final exams. Love this post. I want that tree house. Ann
Carrie Hampton
Layla …. that was beautiful.
What a beautiful journey / trip post. It sounds like you are having an amazing time and really soaking it all in. We all have those days when we wish we could talk to our teenage self. You put so many of those things perfectly. What great inspiration!!! Makes me feel really lucky that my mama is coming to have lunch with me today.
– Carrie
LifestyleFiles.com
Jane-Ellen
Layla,
You hit the nail on the head girl! I just got back from a trip with my mom to Seattle, WA and Vancouver, CA! I can truly say that at 52, I should have done it sooner, so glad that you and your mom have. Note to self, take trips with my boys, starting now!!! Thanks!
Stacey Napior
This is beautiful!
Gail Lane
Wow Layla! What a wonderful post! It brought tears to my eyes. I wish I’d learned all these things when i was only 37. You are very lucky to know these things now AND to have such a wonderful friendship with your mom. I had to wait a lot longer to stumble onto most of these wonderful truths.
Nicole
For reasons I can’t put my finger on, this post brought tears to my eyes….thank you Layla!
Dawn
Insiteful and inspiring to say the least. Thank you for the reminders!
Keep posting on you trip!
kathy
BEAUTIFULLY DONE!!!!!!!
Jeanette
Thank you for the beautiful words and pictures. Now where’s a tissue…I need to call mom.
Wendy M.
Wonderful post Layla. When I was about your age, my mom and I took trips together in the fall for a number of years. Once down thru Pennsylvania, another time up thru northern Ontario. The leaves were beautiful, the little towns so quaint, the shops so interesting, and the company so great! I have those memories to treasurefor the rest of my life. We are older now and I am so blessed to still have my mom in my life. Even if she isn’t ‘up to’ taking those type of jaunts anymore, we still are very close and go out most every Sat. afternoon to nose around at some shop or another. May you and your mom be blessed with many trips and years to come!
Vintage Inspired by Sofia
This is officially my favorite post you’ve ever written.
Actually, it made me cry – but in a good way.
Cheers Layla.
Just B @ Love Where You Live
What a lovely post, Layla (and such beautiful photos!). What a blessing to be able to spend this time with your mother, and she with you. And I can’t imagine a more perfect spot to spend some quiet time in together. Your words and photos express perfectly how special this trip and your time together was. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us all to take time, make time, and spend more of it with those who are dear to us. Blessings. 🙂
Allison
Tears.
Thanks for the words, the quotes and the pictures.
Jamie O
That was a beautiful post and so true….it truly is amazing how all those things are so much more important when you get older!
Magali@LittleWhiteHouse
Your post has me both laughing and crying, sometimes at the same moment. And I know my comment is incredibly shallow compared to your post, but, really, you are 37? You look so young!
I took the liberty to use the sentence you found in an antique stote somewhere in your road trip and frame it for a colleague of mine who’s having a real hard time in life…
Gina Turner Yancey
Hey Layla,
I have to say this is one of my all time favorite posts you have written. Probaly because it so close to home, of where I am these days! Thanks for being so open and honest. The pictures were awesome as well, and I want to go to that camp with my husband!
tereasa
what a gorgeous story. it was such a treat to have met your mom (& you!!) in person. thank you SO much for paying our little campground a visit 🙂 you are a talented beyond words and a true inspiration to more folks that you can possibly imagine. thank you for sharing your views, photos, stories -and yourself- with the world. we all love you!
tracie
lovely Layla… simply lovely.
Angela
Such a beautiful post, Layla! You’re so blessed to have such a wonderful mom, and she a wonderful daughter! I don’t have the pleasure of that sort of relationship with my own mother but pray that my daughter (soon-to-be 13!) & I will enjoy a relationship much like yours with your mom when she is grown!
P.S. I was sure I was going to marry Jordan but am so very glad I didn’t! 😉
Molly
I absolutely love this post. Reminds me of the amazing relationship I have with my own mom. Everything you wrote is so true..I’m going to start taking notes 🙂
Karina
Fantastic post, Layla! I enjoyed reading every word of it.