Wisdom from Mom

My Mom is one of the smartest and strongest people I know.

How do I know? Well, she raised me. And believe me when I tell you, that was no easy task.

In the twenty-something years since I was born, I have learned a thing or two from my Mom.

In no particular order, here are some of the things she has (very patiently) taught me:

• It is not OK to drive late at night in a strange neighborhood with your best friends when you are only 16. You get your license taken away for that. And not by the state either, folks.
• When she says we are leaving for a certain time, she means it. You will get left behind. Trust me.
• She is always right when it comes to seeing a person for who they really are. How I wish I had learned to recognize that one waaaaay earlier in life!
• How to drive. Ask her about the mailbox incident. She never tires of that story. ;-)
• Bladder Control. "I asked you if you needed to go before we left the house. You'll just have to hold it until we get there."
•  Finances. "What do I look like? A bank? If you want it, you'll have to earn it."
• An infinite number of ways to cook hot dogs when you're on a budget. Weenie stew, weenie casserole, weenie and chili mac, boiled weenies, cold weenies...
•  Play-time with your younger brother is best spent away from the stairs. Apparently pushing your sibling down the stairs in a laundry basket is a bad decision. Can't blame a nerd for testing the laws of physics!
• Always wear clean underwear in case you end up in an ambulance or hospital. Just a thought here: if I were in a bad enough situation (a car accident, let's say) to warrant an ambulance or hospital visit, I think they kind of expect that my underwear will *not* be clean at that point.
• The power of prayer. "You better pray this stain comes out."
•  Gratefulness. "You'll thank me some day."

Mom, you were right. I am grateful for all the wisdom. My future children will be calling you quite often to tell you how "mean" I am. I guess you suspected as much though, right? ;-)