A Swipe of Wisdom: The Motherly Advice I Still Live By

History happens constantly.

My mom never leaves the house without lipstick. And neither do I.

Though I'm more of a tinted gloss girl myself. I'm not sure when, but at some point my mom mentioned it to me. She told me that no matter how short her trip "out" will be, no matter what it's "for," she's swiping that lipstick on, even if it's the only addition to her already beautiful face.

If I were to guess, I'd say it was the late 70s or early 80s when this motherly advice came my way. Sometimes you have to just free-flow as a writer, and today is that day. Maybe it's the autumn air, the leaves starting to change... but I'm feeling the vibe.

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Mom and me in Chicago, circa 1971

Why the lipstick habit?

The story behind her habit may make you cringe in 2025, but hear me out.

My mom went to high school in 1960's Chicago. She's 80 as this is written, born in September of 1945 during World War II. Not born here, but emigrated after starting life in post-war Europe.

Like many Eastern European Jews, there was a bit of time in Israel, a boat to the United States, and then- ultimately - a life through the passion and hard graft of her parents. In Chicago.

Mom's high school journey wasn't like mine- that's certain. She was being educated to be a secretary. In the time of Pan Am being the gold standard for "stewardesses," her education included her "look" and presence.

I'm not judging this period- in fact, I'm grateful. She is the woman she is because of all her experiences. Including this one.

Lipstick has been a must for her.

(and BTW: there's a whole lot of rabbit holes to dive down regarding education, 1960's Chicago, post-war immigrants...)

Mom with her parents, my grandparents, in Chicago

I am shocked by the impact of her advice to me.

As I'm on the cusp of turning 55, I decided to write this down. It's not something I suddenly realized when I woke up this morning, but her simple practice of leaving the house with lipstick on has impacted my life.

I'm not being melodramatic, I'm serious.

• Lipstick makes me feel good. Confident, healthy, ready.
• The idea of having one thing that is a constant for my day makes me feel centered.
• The idea that it's a shared moment with my mom, thousands of miles away, makes me feel secure.

Ok, vulnerability abound in this post, but I think it's important. Important to toss out a bit of me in a history blog I write. One with a mission statement that includes people. My mom deserves it as much as anyone and there's no doubt this little bit of "her" has shaped me and continues to drive me.

RELATED: Click here to read about the creation of my mission statement.

Background of photo, Stratford Hall.

My history is American history, because I lived.

This is a history blog. I get it; you might be wondering why I'm talking about my mom. Living in Colonial Williamsburg I'm constantly reminded that history is not only constant, but cumulative.

And history is diverse. In a way that drives me to have a mission statement for my blog.

I'm thanking actor and historian Stephen Seals for the title to this section of the blog. His portrayal of James Lafayette is truly inspiring. And I'm not making that statement lightly.

I saw him yesterday (again) and he made a point to share what he always [?] closes his performances with: my (James Lafayette's) story isn't military history or black history, it's American history. It's our shared history.

Ok, I'm paraphrasing but I'm close and the sentiment is there. His words always hit hard- especially the bit about we are making history, because we live[d]. My mom's impact goes well beyond the idea of swiping some lipstick on. It's the feeling I've gotten from following her lead.

RELATED: Read my "I'm an American" post with sharing the words of Patrick Henry by clicking here.



Mom and dad in Chicago, late 1960s

Closing words from history.

Diane Keaton recently passed away. She was iconic. As I've been reading all the tributes, one of her quotes grabbed me. I thought of my mom, whose entire adult life included Ms. Keaton.

So different, yet in the end: lipstick.

“Don’t give up on yourself. So you make a mistake here and there; you do too much or you do too little. Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on lipstick.” - Diane Keaton

source here (though there are many places you can find this quote)

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There is a huge practical disclaimer to the content on this blog, which is my way of sharing my excitement and basically journaling online.

1) I am not a historian nor an expert. I will let you know I’m relaying the information as I understand and interpret it. The employees of Colonial Williamsburg base their presentations, work, and responses on historical documents and mainly primary sources.

2) I will update for accuracy as history is constant learning. If you have a question about accuracy, please ask me! I will get the answer from the best source I can find.

3) Photo credit to me, Daphne Reznik, for all photos in this post, unless otherwise credited! All photos are personal photos taken in public access locations or with specific permission. Most of the Chicago photos, excepting the one my dad is in, were taken by him!