Mama Said
As my relationship with my Mother has moved from a strictly Daughter/Mom role to that of friends, I've discovered that her advice resonates a little bit more than it used to. For example:
At age 15:
"Those shoes are going to cause blisters."
"What? No way."
At age 18:
"Come here and let me show you how to reconcile a bank statement."
"What? No way."
At age 22:
"Don't you think that it's time to just call this relationship quits?"
"What? No way."
At age 28:
"Moving to Scotland is going to be hard."
"What? No way."
And so on and so forth. The great thing about time, however, is that it gives you a chance to start to look back over the garden of your life, examine the flowers, pull out the weeds, and take note of which plants are better suited to your climate. You pay attention to which ones should not be planted in certain seasons and others that need a little extra effort and care. It's also helpful to speak with an expert gardener.
So when I had a chance to use Mom as a sounding board this Christmas regarding some things in my life, I actually listened to her. She has common sense in spades, and I can certainly use a little more of that. She said two things in particular that I plan to take with me into the New Year:
1. "Is this something worth fighting for?"
And,
2. "You're over committed. Pick three things you love and drop the rest."
See, very simple yet sage advice for this harried little chick.
And I got a bonus from Grandma Sugar:
"Those heels are going to mess up your feet - look at mine."
At age 15:
"Those shoes are going to cause blisters."
"What? No way."
At age 18:
"Come here and let me show you how to reconcile a bank statement."
"What? No way."
At age 22:
"Don't you think that it's time to just call this relationship quits?"
"What? No way."
At age 28:
"Moving to Scotland is going to be hard."
"What? No way."
And so on and so forth. The great thing about time, however, is that it gives you a chance to start to look back over the garden of your life, examine the flowers, pull out the weeds, and take note of which plants are better suited to your climate. You pay attention to which ones should not be planted in certain seasons and others that need a little extra effort and care. It's also helpful to speak with an expert gardener.
So when I had a chance to use Mom as a sounding board this Christmas regarding some things in my life, I actually listened to her. She has common sense in spades, and I can certainly use a little more of that. She said two things in particular that I plan to take with me into the New Year:
1. "Is this something worth fighting for?"
And,
2. "You're over committed. Pick three things you love and drop the rest."
See, very simple yet sage advice for this harried little chick.
And I got a bonus from Grandma Sugar:
"Those heels are going to mess up your feet - look at mine."
posted by Lisa | 8:45 PM
5 Comments:
I'm with your grandma. I had a friend that was a ballerina. BAD feet!!! And your mom has the right idea too-pick three & drop the rest. More people need to do that. :)lol Glad your holiday was nice, relaxing & enlightening.
It's just that I really love heels. :) But as far as what Mom said - that advice is already paying off!
wow, great advice. My mom passed away three months after I was married, and I really miss having her around to talk to about life. It's great that you can see what her advice is worth.
Hi, I found your blog through Ann Glamore's blog. I liked what you wrote about seeing your mom's wisdom now more than when you were younger. I think about that a lot. I wish I knew when I was a teenager that most (if not all!) of what my mom told me was right! I wouldn't have listened then, but now, I'm so thankful for her wisdom.
Amy- I'm sorry about your mother; I can't imagine with a new marriage how much you must have (and still do) miss her. Thanks for sharing.
Lauren-
Welcome and thanks for reading! I agree - it would have saved me a bundle of trouble if I had listened to her then.
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