Day 7 :: Guest Post from my Sister: Five Things Everyday

Today I’m excited to introduce to you my sister, Sherri.  She gave birth to her first child, a daughter, just a little over four months ago.  Madeleine Ruth is just the sweetest baby and although I’ve only been able to spend time with her on one occasion so far, I love her and I love to watch my sister and brother-in-law interact with their little girl!

I asked Sherri to write some lessons that she would want to teach her daughter and I love the list she compiled.  You can read more about Sherri’s life as a wife and Mom (insert:  fantastic recipes, book recommendations, home projects, just to name a few topics she writes about) over on her blog:  The Life of a Wife and see more pictures like the ones below on her Instagram feed.

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You will quickly learn, my daughter, that time is precious, and there is only so much of it in a day. At times you may be overwhelmed with all that you have to do and all that you want to do in a given day, but these are five things I hope you will do every day, no matter how old you are.

Make your bed. There’s no reason to ever leave the house without making your bed. It’s a task that takes only a few minutes, but it makes your bedroom look a million times better. I’ve always believed that laziness is the only thing that keeps people from making their beds, so please at least be disciplined enough to complete this small task each day! Besides, it allows you to accomplish something in the first five minutes of your day!

Say please and thank you. If you want another handful of Cheerios or you want to play with your friend’s doll, first say please. When your college roommate gives you a ride for the tenth time, say thank you. When you’re placing your order at Starbucks, say please to the barista, and when the waiter refills your drink at a restaurant, say thank you. Say please and thank you to your co-workers (even your boss!) when you ask for feedback on a project, a schedule change, or help with a big deadline. Say please to your husband when you ask him to take the trash out, pick up milk on the way home, or kill that spider for you. Others will see you as a polite person, and you’ll learn to respect others’ time and efforts.

Wash your face before bed. At the end of the day, it feels so good to wash the day from your face. It can help start a bedtime routine that will in turn help you to have more quality sleep. People have always made comments to me about how young I look, and I contribute it to my dedication to washing my makeup off every single night. Your pores need to be able to breathe, and leaving your mascara on will only ruin good linens.

 Throw your head back and laugh. You have more than likely inherited my loud and distinct laugh, just like I inherited mine from my mother. Don’t let that stop you from throwing your head back and having a good laugh! Don’t wait to see if anyone else in the room is laughing; if it strikes you as funny, let it loose! I’ve been the only one laughing more times than I can count, but I just embrace it. There is humor to be found in most situations, if you look for it. Learn to laugh at yourself—even your mistakes—and you’ll be a more enjoyable person to be around.

 Spend time with Jesus. Even if you do none of these other things, please spend time with Jesus. Make time each day to pour your heart out to Jesus and open His Word to hear from His heart. I am always eager to listen to you, to your successes and joys, and also your fears and disappointments, but please first turn to Jesus. Depend on Him before depending on me, your dad, your best friend, or your husband. He is the one that loves you most and knows you best, for He created you, and He created you to know Him. Make your relationship with Him a priority before all others.

All images courtesy of Sherri’s Instagram feed and blog.

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This is Day 7 of a series “Lessons for my Daughters”.  Click here for a complete list of posts.