Mama Said...

...To always dress so that people notice you, not your clothes.
...That her grandmother told her that when it's sunny and raining at the same time, a witch is being born. And every time the sun literally shines through the rain, I think of her.
...That I deserve the best.
..."Squirreler" instead of "squirrel" when she first came to this country. Something about the translation from Serbian to English made her add an extra syllable. My father thought it was hilarious, and when they were first married, he'd point to squirrels in their yard and say "What's that?" She'd answer "Squirreler" and he would just laugh and laugh. Still, she has to concentrate when she says the word.
...That the older a woman gets, the shorter her hair should be.
...That I am "so special," I'm like "a drop of water in the desert."
...To wear makeup so that it looks like you're not wearing any.
...That everyone looks more beautiful when they smile.
...Something that sounded like "Pom-ed-e-say" every time she said something she didn't want to happen to her. Then she's move her butt in her seat, and command me to do the same, to prevent being cursed by whatever hardship she'd just spoken of. I do the same thing.
...Her husband is the greatest man she's ever known.
...She listened to Motown hits on full blast as she drove for her checkups when she was pregnant with me. She thinks that's why I love the Soul classics so much.
..."The key to looking young as you get older is gaining weight. The fat fills in the wrinkles." She followed it with peals of laughter.
...She would do anything for her kids.
...She adores her husband.
...She was too poor as a kid to afford sweets when she was a child in Serbia, and that's why our fridge is always stocked with goodies: She wants to give her kids everything she was never able to have.
...Although her childhood was haunted by poverty, it was rich and full of love.
...To always want the best.
...She would gladly going without the things she wants if it meant she could give to her children.
...That I always have somewhere to live, no matter how old I am.
..."I know what will make you feel better," when I had a horrible day. "Chicken paprikash with egg noodles. And lima beans." She was always right.
...That she fell in love with me the moment she saw me. I fell in love with her then, too.