Lipstick & Letters: Momma is not always right

Hi Ellie.

You are 17 and trying to figure out what to do with your life. You talked to mom this morning. She was her negative, pessimistic self. "Go for something easy," she said. "Something you know you can do. Don't try anything hard. You will probably fail."

So what did you do? You went to school for something easy. A 1-year Vocational School class and now you are stuck at a job you hate, making very little money, and afraid to do much of anything else. Mom still brags about how she was right. And I know that hurts you. Deep.

It will take this moment. It will take this Letters project. It will take right now for me to realize that mom was wrong. Mom always took the easy way out. Mom never ventured far from the paved roads of life and now she is a prisoner of her own making.

We are in 2014 now. Just entered the new year. It's been 13 years since you made the decision to NOT try. But I am rectifying that decision and today I called around and have college information coming, and I am going to pick something and change my life. We always wanted to be a nurse. Remember? So yeah. I think that's what we will be. Yes it might be hard, but I think we can do it.

Momma's aren't always right, Ellie. And now that are mom's too, we need to set good examples for our kids. We need to show our daughter's that they should challenge themselves and try. They should try and not be afraid of failure, because nothing is worse than coming to a job every single day where you are unhappy, and you know you are better than the position you have put yourself in.

I love you Ellie. And we will do this together.

You - 13 years later