My Guru Calls Me Momma: Learning About Life From The Dotty Lama

See, Mom? You aren't a bad parent, you're just a regular parent and I'm a regular kid.

My therapist will be thrilled to hear it.

In this poignant and hilarious memoir, Jill Pepper Montz - thoughtful Christian, second-generation pecan grower, and doting momma - talks honestly about the ups and downs of life as a divorced parent, and the lessons she learns daily from her sharp-witted, perfectionist, fashionista daughter, Dot.

Lessons like:

• Bacon is best when cooked
• Never be so afraid of getting hurt that you give up on trying
• "Normal" is what you make it
• Some of the best teaching moments occur when you're not expecting them
• You don't have to be perfect to be beautiful or loved
• Sometimes functionally dysfunctional is all you can ask for

With chapters such as Memories - Not Kodak, But All Mine (how to stop planning a Disney vacation and actually enjoy it), Loving You When You're Hard to Love (spoiler: God and mom will always have your back), and Random and Repeat (why acceptance is often a better response than judgment), My Guru Calls Me Momma is a compassionate, insightful guide to finding love, gratitude, understanding, and humor in even the darkest moments.

Jill Pepper Montz was raised in the small farming community of Charlie, Texas, where her parents grew pecans. Her degrees in Business Administration from Midwestern helped her to become a driving force in the family's business. The Pecan Shed first opened its doors in 1981, and has since grown to 1,000 acres, more than 25,000 trees, two retail stores, and online sales that reach around the world. Jill loves running the stores while her dad and brother run the orchards (Jill's mom retired to be a full-time Memaw), though she could live without all the paperwork. She also works extensively with the Senior Junior Forum, a group of women who volunteer their time and talents to non-profit agencies in Wichita Falls. Jill now lives in Iowa Park, Texas, with her daughter Dotty Marie ("The Pecan Shed Girl"), where they're both kept extra busy with Dotty's extensive extracurricular and church activities. When Jill became a single mom in 2010, she began posting her thoughts on social media, and was surprised to find how many people seemed to enjoy and relate to her stories and musings. She was encouraged by her Uncle Donny to turn her writings into a book, and decided to trust him (and God) and give it a go. "Every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, or anyone who has been around small children can tell very similar stories to mine ... I just put mine down in black and white. Dotty still provides endless stories for me to tell and I am forever blessed to be her mom. It's my favorite job on this planet."