30 Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times

I sat down to make a list of things that my mother has taught me to use as part of this blog post.  I think I could have made a list of 100 or more things easily.  I thought that making an endless list was too easy.  After all, she has taught me so many things.   So I tried to limit myself to a list of 30 things I have heard (or was supposed to hear) over the years.  

My mother has always been a great source of good solid information.  Things like "If you push up on the bottoms of chocolates you can see what kind they are without anyone knowing."  Don't worry Mom, that didn't make the list.  But still, it's good advice.  And one of so many good memories and bits of humor and wisdom that you have passed down over the years.  See, people always think that humor was Dad's department but this woman has a wicked sense of humor.  She has a dry sense of humor.  A superb British comedy sense of humor.  Dad may have let me watch "Benny Hill" but Mom introduced me to "Mr. Bean".  Don't laugh, that show is deeper than it seems.  

All in all I was able to come up with a list of 30 things that I have heard on more than one occasion.  Now, did I always listen to each and every one?  I have not but the one's that I skipped over I sure do wish that I hadn't.  It took me longer to get the hang of some of them.  But darn her she was right about all of them and quite a few that didn't make the list.  

So here it is.  "30 Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times":

1. Above all else, never be ordinary or say that you are bored.  Only boring people get bored.
2. Always put your husband above your children. Children grow up and leave, but you've got to live with your husband forever.

3. You cannot reason with children.

4. Get a good job and stay there.

5. A good bra is your best friend.

6. Always turn the lights off when you leave a room. It saves electricity and helps keep the house cooler.

7. Old towels make great dishtowels when they get thin and ragged. Old dishtowels make great dishrags when they get thin and full of holes. Old dishrags should be used for working on cars and washing machines when they get too thin for washing dishes. Never throw away old towels.

8. Always eat the parsley they put on your plate in restaurants, it is packed with vitamins, and freshens your breath.

9. Mercurochrome, Calamine Lotion and Vaseline will cure anything.

10. Practice moderation in all things.

11. Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, and keep your chin up.

12. Never buy anything until it goes on sale.

13. Our life is made up of small moments, never be too busy to enjoy them.

14. Understand that you can not spend more money that you make and continue to be happy.

15. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

16. Procrastination robs you of your happiness and the satisfaction of a job well done.

17. No matter how painful a situation you will feel better someday and it is often sooner than you think.

18. Your health matters, never take it for granted.

19. Make good food a priority in your life.

20. People will judge you on how you look so always be aware of how you present yourself.

21.  Be curious, about life and people. Things are not always how they seem.

22. Always be polite and kind to the people that serve you, they take as much pride in their work as you do in yours.

23. You can't do it all by yourself all the time.

24. Keep everything you own in good repair.

25. Keep up to date with what is going on in the world, stay informed.  Today’s news will become tomorrow’s Moments in History.  Pay attention.

26. Successful people learn from other people's successes and admire them instead of envying them.

27. Moisturize.  You can never have too much of a good moisturizer.

28. The most valuable thing you own is your word.  Protect it with all your might because, once you lose it, it’s the most difficult thing to earn back.

29. Don’t be afraid to be a strong woman.  It’s sometimes not easy to live your life as a woman known for being “strong willed” but in the end you will have less regrets.

30. All you ever really have is your family.

I love you Mom.  Happy Mother's Day!  Thank you for being strong and amazing and quirky and beautiful and warm and loving and "strong willed" and competitive and bold and most of all for just being YOU.  

PS.  31.  Tofu is good and good for you. (You were right about that one.)
The jury is still out on okra though.