A mother's best advice

Multiple lessons
My mother taught me that I can always make due with what I have.
My mother taught me that when people lash out at me it's only because they are hurting and frustrated.
My mother taught me to look for the man that was truly interested in me, instead of the man I had to chase down.
My mother taught me that foul language makes the speaker sound ignorant and coarse, while a full vocabulary brings tact and clarity.
My mother taught me that books were the best and cheapest way to travel the world.
My mother taught me that the best way to end arguments around the dinner table is to smile and squish pudding through your teeth.
--Julia, Tampa, Fla.

Tough love
It's hard to choose only one!  But what stands out in my mind is when I was 17; I had dropped out of school and was just lying around the house, for a long time.  One day mom said "well, you'll have to start paying rent or leave."  I was hurt and angry as only a teenager could be and didn't speak to her for a week or two.  Eventually, I got a job, paid rent and even bought and paid for a brand new car a few years later. I look back and am so grateful that my mother had taken a "tough love" stance and taught me that the world doesn't owe me a living.  I know I turned out to be a better person for it; independent and self-reliant, even though I realized later it must have been a difficult thing for my mother to have done.  I'll always be grateful to her for that "tough love".  She's 79 now, and I'm grateful that we can share "just love" together!!
--Anne Garramone, Boonton, N.J.

Respect others
My mom, Jean Packard, died from ovarian cancer at the age of 55. Not a day goes by that her spirit, humor, and intelligence doesn't reflect in my daily life. She taught me to respect others and their opinions, even if you don't agree. She was a strong believer in human rights and, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered, she very boldly told off my sister's 3rd grade teacher when she made an inappropriate racial slur. She may have been a short chubby Girl Scout leader from Ohio, but her honesty and warmth to all she met are the most important parts of her I see in myself every day. I miss her terribly, but know we'll play "Marathon Scrabble" again some day.
--Cindy Stidham, Eustace, Texas

Actions speak louder than words
The one thing I learned from my mom was not by any words that she actually spoke.  It was by her actions and her character.  My mom showed me how to be compassionate, non-judgmental, loving, and sympathetic.  We have an open door policy--that is how my mom was.  Even when I had the worst break-up in my life (first love) -- my mom understood that I still wanted to see this boy -- and as angry as she was with him--she let him come back into her house and see me when he came to his senses.  It seems like a little thing--but to me--it should me what I want to be like for my own daughters. Thanks Mom
--JoAnn Clark, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Keep criticism private
When I was a teenager my brother was quarterback at our high school.  Our family went to every game, home or away.  One night, sitting in the stands at another school, I yelled something mean about a player on the other team.  My mom leaned over to me and said "Never say something negative about someone in public.  You never know if that's his mom and dad sitting in front of you."  How often this still applies in everyday life!  You never know how the people around you are related to someone you might be gossiping about.  Mom taught me that no good comes from being a gossip, and as an adult, I have a reputation as someone who does not gossip, and can keep a confidence.  Thanks mom!
--Gwen Markham, Novi, Mich.

Aging with grace
My mom, Jean Coe, always said she wanted to grow old gracefully. She is now 73, and she has shown me just what that means.  She embraces every day with an attitude of vigor and joy.  She finds good-hearted humor in the absurdities of human nature. In the past 10 years, Mom has gone whitewater rafting, polar bear spotting, deep sea fishing, and has taken classes on everything from the history of Iraq to dentistry.  She tackles new technology with aplomb, and has sped right past me in learning how to shoot and send digital photos across the net! My mom has a sweet innocence about her that melts people's walls and creates friends wherever she goes. She has shown me how to love life, to love yourself, and to seize the opportunities that come your way.
--Carol Hazelgrove, Converse, Texas

Laughter is the best medicine
My mom taught me that special moments are to be cherished!  That laughter is the best medicine!  That being silly made you feel good inside!  That loving and caring for people and not "things" is what's most valuable!  In January this year, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and while in the hospital, she called me to come - that she was scared.  When I got to the hospital, she looked so calm and I just stared at her.  As if reading my mind, she finally said, "Thank God for Paxil!"  We just laughed and laughed and cried too.  She then sang to me "Side By Side". That was a bittersweet, but precious moment.  My mother died about two weeks after that and since then my life has been drastically altered!  I SALUTE YOU MY MOST BEAUTIFUL MOM!  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
--Karen Blechl-Horney. Pennsauken, N.J.

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