Maybe it was because we didn’t have much money, but mostly I think it was because my mother knew the difference between trends and fashion. She had the patience to put a piece on layaway, investing her time in quality. Be it blouse or heart, she was in it for the long haul.  

I spent my time wisely, simply by watching her. 

Within the last week, I have had two requests for some of my original artwork. One dating back a couple of decades. And it warms my heart, not just to still be “in fashion,” but it takes me back to the Viking Plaza, right beside my mother, storefront, watching, learning that the best of things, the best of us, will always last. 

I want to keep growing. Try new things. Ever. But I always begin from the same place. The long haul of my mother’s heart.