Things I learned from watching my mamoune live

Things I learned from watching my Mamoune live.

I miss my grandmother so much. Around the holidays, it gets hard for me to deal with not being around my family. I can remember cutting into a foie gras she had sent me a few Christmases ago and just crying into it because it reminded me so much of her.
I've had a lot of time, these last ten days, to reflect on what type of family culture I want to be building here, and I know that I learned so much from watching her. So, without further ado, I give you:

Things I learned from watching my mamoune live.



Begin the day with a good cup of coffee and your husband, no matter what the day will hold. Better yet, serve it and share it in bed.

Get dressed, washed, and done up before you do anything else. Don't have holes in your clothes. Take care of your body. Brush your hair. Wear perfume.

Make breakfast for the whole family accessible and fun, make it a meal.

Honor your husband. Devote yourself to him and treat him with kindness and respect, even when things get rough.... and ESPECIALLY when he is being rough. ;) Uphold the household rules he sets. He will, in turn, treasure you.

Pray your rosary. Every single day.

Read your bible. Every single day.

Go to church often and pay close attention, because it will prepare you for what life holds.

Celebrate life, at every occasion. Bring friends. Make large families. If you don't have large families, you better get lots of friends.

Take your housework seriously. Run your household with thoughtfulness and care. Roll up your sleeves and get in there. I can think of many occasions where, even though the maid was there, my grandmother was scrubbing alongside her, showing her how to get it right.

Retain your dignity in every situation. Never forget who you are and where you came from.

Use your good china. Know when to put out the good wine.

Enjoy all good things, but do everything with moderation.

Make babies, train them up as toddlers, teach them to be thoughtful adults. When you can't contain them and if they stray from you and God, pray for them ceaselessly.

Make feasts festive...decorate, cook for days, and celebrate. This is culture building.

Know that there is "a time to work," and "a time to rest."

Uphold your husband in all things. Realize that you represent him always. When he needs you, drop everything to be available to him.

There are four square meals a day: Breakfast, lunch, teatime, and dinner. One does not snack in between, and even if we are alone that day it's worth cooking something up.

Never eat alone if you can avoid it. If you must eat alone, eat at the table anyways. And don't let being alone keep you from a nice glass of wine. Even an egg can make a pretty, balanced meal if you pair it with the right thing.

Managing a household takes all of your gifts. Know what your gifts are.

Hospitality is the best gift. Invite people over often, and make them feel simultaneously like royalty and family when they do visit.

Freshen up before dinner.

Take a nap every day. Drink espresso after lunch.

It is your responsibility to uphold and care for your church. Teach your family to love to give of themselves at the Parish.

Eat right, watch your figure, get a tan.

Train and discipline your children. Expect good behavior from them, and extract it with military precision if need be. Keep your patience, and enjoy them in the process.

Know the difference between right and wrong.

Dress up to enter the House of the Lord.

Make Him a home in your own home, too.

Laugh often, and work hard to control your tongue when you disapprove of something. When you fail, acknowledge it.

Study your family history and honor those that have gone before. Keep your heritage in mind and remember that you are building legacy.

Teach your children the faith, not just with words and pictures, but with sights, sounds, and experiences. Recognize teachable moments. Begin and end each family event with prayer.

Work is life, and life is work. Do your work as unto the Lord. It takes skill and wisdom to build your house up. Know how to sew, knit, cook, clean, manage, organize, create, fix, garden, teach, and learn.

Keep learning, never stop learning. She was a senior citizen when she started taking gymnastics classes, flute classes, and English classes.

If and when you become "alone," if and when you lose your health, if and when everything changes around you--- if you have lived well you will still have your faith, and that will be all you need. My most poignant memory of my grandmother is from just a few years ago. I was visiting and shocked by how different she was after her stroke-- communication with her was so challenging and she could not really speak. And yet, from the confines of her room every morning, I heard resounding through the halls the words of the Holy Rosary, perfectly pronounced and perfectly voiced. She couldn't even talk, but the woman could pray. Now THAT is a grandmother worth honoring.