In the run of a day (any day) there is always a moment at some point that I think or say out loud, "as my mother always says"...followed by some pithy quote I've heard her say more than once. She's a wise woman and her words have stayed with me over the years. Just this morning, as I was drying my hair, I found myself grinning as I heard her voice in my head saying, "don't go out with wet hair. You'll catch your death of cold." My smile got even broader the more I thought about it because I live in a desert climate now. A little different from the snow and cold I grew up with in Nova Scotia. But there had to be a reason it popped in my head at that moment. Probably just a moment of pause to make sure I was ready to face the day.
Sometimes I hear people say that if they started to sound like their parents to stop them. I feel quite differently. When I mention to my mother that I always quote her she says that most of her pearls of wisdom came from her father (who would have been born in the late 1800s). So, if you're starting to sound like your parents you're passing along advice and wisdom to the next generation. I think more of that should be happening. My mother has always been a great sounding board for me (saved a lot on therapy that's for sure) and she always knows the right thing to say (even if it's something her father used to say to her). She has a 6th sense and seems to intuitively know the essence of people and situations. It seems we've forgotten that we need to learn from from the past and those who lived it.
So many trite sayings are running through my head that, when you come right down to it, actually revolve around self-preservation and planning for the future: a penny saved is a penny earned; don't sit on the wet ground, you'll get a cold in your kidneys; an apple a day keeps the doctor away; you're not too old for the years you've been born; save for a rainy day; give them an inch and they'll take a yard; that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger...and so on. I could go on but, I think I've made my point. It pays to listen more closely to the generation that lived before we were born.
Sometimes I hear people say that if they started to sound like their parents to stop them. I feel quite differently. When I mention to my mother that I always quote her she says that most of her pearls of wisdom came from her father (who would have been born in the late 1800s). So, if you're starting to sound like your parents you're passing along advice and wisdom to the next generation. I think more of that should be happening. My mother has always been a great sounding board for me (saved a lot on therapy that's for sure) and she always knows the right thing to say (even if it's something her father used to say to her). She has a 6th sense and seems to intuitively know the essence of people and situations. It seems we've forgotten that we need to learn from from the past and those who lived it.
So many trite sayings are running through my head that, when you come right down to it, actually revolve around self-preservation and planning for the future: a penny saved is a penny earned; don't sit on the wet ground, you'll get a cold in your kidneys; an apple a day keeps the doctor away; you're not too old for the years you've been born; save for a rainy day; give them an inch and they'll take a yard; that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger...and so on. I could go on but, I think I've made my point. It pays to listen more closely to the generation that lived before we were born.
Comments
We are 2 very lucky people, to have such great mothers.
Love your work Anne!
Corrina