In an issue of Southern Living, Matthew McConaughey said that he will always remember his Mama’s saying, “Are you going to see the rose in the vase or the dust on the table?”
His quote made me think about the words of wisdom my mom shared with me.
My mom used to say, “Make your bed every morning.”
Admiral William McRaven gave that same advice on May 17, 2014, to the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin. His speech was so well received that he later wrote the book “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World.” The book went on to become a #1 New York Times Bestseller.
My mom used to say that if you have to tell someone what you are, then you aren’t. I didn’t really understand what she meant until I heard the expression, “Actions speak louder than words.” Mom also told us that no one can make you feel guilty, unless you are.
If my sisters or I were bragging, Mom would start chanting, “I love me, I love me.” Whenever I hear the song, “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw, I think of the lesson my mom was trying to teach me.
Erma Bombeck was a popular newspaper columnist from 1965 through 1996. She was also a mom and used some of her views on life as titles for the books she wrote. For instance, “Family—The Ties That Bind …And Gag,” “The Grass Is Always Greener Over The Septic Tank,” and “Just Wait Till You Have Children of Your Own!”
Everyone I talk with seems to treasure words of wisdom that their moms shared with them. Those words covered a variety of topics and came from a variety of moms.
Moms can be birth moms, adopted moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, Godmothers and mothers-in-law. There are also “second moms,” those wonderful aunts, neighbors, teachers and the women who mentored us at work. The one thing they all have in common is their ability to love and to try to guide us to be the best we can be.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day on May 14, 2023, we can all be thankful for the gifts our mothers have given us. We are better people because of their love.
Happy Mother’s Day!
