My mom still lets me sit on her lap. I’ll do it as long as I can.
My mom, Tina Roberta (Thuston) Johnson, has been sharing nuggets with me all of my life. Over the past 30 years of my life, I’ve collected a plethora of these nuggets. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing them with you. Mom, thank you for each and every token of love that you’ve tossed my way. I love you and I’ll always treasure you.
In no particular order, here are 30 lessons (and things) I’ve learned from my mom over the past 30 years.
#1 Try out for the team. If you don’t make it, go to the camp the next year. If you make it, go to the camp the next year.
#2 How to do my taxes.
#3 How to sew.
#4 Listen to your mama.
My mom’s mom, Roberta Dorcas (Turner) Thuston.
#5 Don’t put your arm up and out when sitting on a pew or on a chair. Keep your hands in your lap. A man can put his arm up and around you though.
#6 How to make biscuits from scratch.
#7 Clear fingernail polish will help stop a run. Always keep some in your purse.
#8 How to tweeze my eyebrows and shave.
#9 If you get a pimple, put a little toothpaste on it. Make sure it has baking soda in it.
#10 Make sure every meal has some roughage in it.
My mom was my “dresser” when I became a licensed evangelist missionary with my three sisters.66
#11 If you’re constipated, drink a little hot water and rock back and forth or just wait. Nature will take its course.
#12 You can make history and you don’t have to be loud about it. People will announce what you’ve done for you. (My mom was the first black woman to graduate from Mid-America Nazarene University. She was also the leading rebounder on the basketball team at the university and she played on the volleyball team too. She still has a great shot.)
#13 You can make anything stretch. Food, clothes, money–anything.
#14 Write it down and set alarms.
#15 Don’t go to bed angry at anyone and don’t hold grudges.
#16 Your husband may be deployed or working overnight, but you can still have all four daughters’ hair combed and have them dressed AND on time for Sunday School. Yes, even if they’re all under 10. And they must all have their offering in their purses too.
The Johnson Sisters with Cousin Bethany at the Thuston Chanute house.
#17 Don’t ask to go over someone’s house. Let them invite you.
#18 Make sure the house is quiet when your husband comes home.
#19 Make sure the children are quiet when your husband comes home.
#20 Don’t ask your husband a whole bunch of questions when he comes through the door. Let him breathe and rest a bit.
Kevin from Heaven brought her four girls. KaDar dropped from Heaven (and Ohio) a bit later.
#21 Search the Word of God for answers to your questions.
#22 If your child doesn’t wake up after you’ve given them a sweet good morning greeting, sprinkle them with water. If they still don’t wake up, come back with a cup full of water and drench them.
#23 Read something (in red) that Jesus said every single day. (She got that from her Daddy.)
#24 Go to all of your kids’ events if you can.
This past Christmas, my parents and all of my siblings were together for the first time in eight years.
#25 Use cold water to get blood out of clothes.
#26 Apple cider vinegar. It will bless your life.
#27 Don’t wait for the school to tell your children about puberty and sex. At the proper time, take your child to a restaurant, enjoy a nice meal and then draw pictures and explain. (I still remember the table where we sat at Denny’s. Karieta got to go to Red Lobster for her talk with mom, but I’m not jealous or anything.)
Karieta (#4), Kinesha (#1), Karissa (#3), & Kristina (#2)
#28 Get up before everyone in the family so that you can have your quiet time with the Lord and with yourself.
#29 Create routines for your children.
#30 Don’t go over to his house alone.
Thank you, mom for all of your tokens of love. You are a treasure and I’ll always cherish you. Happy Mother’s Day!
sevenby30 
Karissa, this is good stuff. Your mother is priceless. Great read. It deserves repeating. I’ve never met your siblings, and I’m sure it’s safe to say the same about them too; you live out everything listed in your article. I know she feels blessed to see your planted seeds spring up in your life.
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Meant to type HER PLANTED SEEDS, not your planted seed spring up in your life.
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Thank you so much, Darius! I am so very grateful for the seeds she’s planted! So very grateful! Thanks for taking the time to read AND comment!
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This is too cool! Your mom is awesome. She raised you all with all the love and care she had to offer and you ALL have turned out to be amazing people. Love you fam!
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Sorry for the delay, Kevin! She is pretty awesome. It’s so cool that you wrote this comment way before you totally made my birthday so AWESOME! God bless you, Kevin! Thanks for being such a great friend!
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