Motherly Advice

“When your mother asks, "Do you want a piece of advice?" it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.”

- Erma Bombeck

A lot of the advice or guidance I have received over the years from the mothers in my life has stuck with me like little word bubbles of wisdom I carry everywhere I go. I say "mothers" plural because I was raised by my mother, my stepmother and my paternal grandmother.

I think it’s something that happens when one becomes a mother - much like the phenomena of their saliva developing the properties of a cleaning agent - mothers extol sage advice and life rules like they’ve been possessed by Confucius. Or Mister Miyagi. If he cared about baking and hemlines.

Ranging from calming words of wisdom to zinging one-liners that add to my personal neuroses, their words stick with me. Like little voices on my shoulder.

“Never apologize unless you mean it. When you say you’re sorry, remember you are also saying you are going to try to never do it again.”


“We don’t have much, but there are people who have it harder than we do. It’s our duty to help people who are in greater need than we are.”


“Fix your bra strap. It’s tacky to let your bra strap show.”


“Consider how you would feel in the other person’s place.”


“Women should always wear hats. Men find a woman in a hat mysterious.”


“Wake up to yourself.”


“A lady wears the same scent at all times. Her scent is her signature.”


“Can you do anything about it? Is it something you have control over? Well, then don’t worry about it.”


"Nothing will make your house smell better than freshly baked homemade bread."


“Don’t forget your siblings. Whatever else happens, you have each other.”


“It’s a tremendous advantage in this life to be able to speak well. Not everyone has the knack for it. You do. Take advantage of it.”


"How clothing fits makes all the difference in the world."


“Sometimes the best relationships are the ones where you’re NOT head-over-heels.”


“Prepare things ahead of time - don’t spend your whole party in the kitchen away from your guests.”


“A sense of humor is important. You don’t want to spend your life with someone who doesn’t have a sense of humor.”


“Take care of your parents. They took care of you.”

(My grandmother said this one, obviously.)

“You have to be able to laugh at yourself.”


“Remember where you came from.”