By Logan Ava
Being an adult is not for the faint of heart. It sure is a lot harder than living life as a kid. When you’re 12 or 13, you hardly have a care in the world. You are fed, housed, and clothed. If you ever get sick, your parents pick up the tab for your medical care. Your biggest worry is getting your homework in on time. It all comes to a screeching halt in adulthood. Thank goodness for mom.
For many of us, mom continues to play a guiding role no matter how old we grow. Even those of us whose moms have passed can still hear her voice. For instance, do you remember what mom used to say when she discovered you weren’t wearing your winter boots? It probably went something like, “I’m not buying you another pair of shoes!”
That was mom’s way of warning us to wear our boots, or else. If we refused, and ruined our shoes as a result, she had no intention of spending the family’s hard-earned money on new footwear. We would just have to live with our ratty shoes until they no longer fit.
Words Burned in Our Brains
Adulthood has a tendency to make one understand one of the fundamental principles of raising a family: mom and dad actually did know best. We may have thought they were ancient fossils whose minds couldn’t grasp modern realities, but it turns out we were the ones whose brains were like mush. Mom and dad definitely knew what they were talking about.
I think about that whenever I put on my GC Tech shoe covers. These are waterproof shoe covers that keep my feet warm and dry when Mother Nature refuses to cooperate with sunny skies and dry air. At any rate, I hear my mother telling me she’s not going to buy me another pair of shoes if I ruin the ones I have. Her words are burned in my brain.
That’s the way it is when mom says something. Whether she is talking about wearing your boots or finishing all the food on your plate, her words are final. Not only that, but they are also permanent once spoken. We cannot ever forget them. The phenomenon is so universal that it’s hard to think of things being any other way.
Wisdom in Those Words
We can look back and laugh about a lot of things mom said. Heck, there are comedians whose entire routines revolve around ‘momisms’. But we all have to admit that there is wisdom in mom’s words. What she said to us as children makes a ton of sense as adults.
To be fair, we cannot ignore dad in all of this. He had his own way of teaching things. He had his own way of imparting wisdom that will never be forgotten. And for that, dad deserves appreciation. But for some reason, it seems to be mom’s words that rattle around in our brains.
A Lifelong Legacy
We can all choose to do what we want with those words of wisdom our moms spoke to us as kids. One way or the other, mom’s words are a lifelong legacy we will carry with us until death. We will always remember mom reminding us about clean underwear and washing behind our ears. We will remember her declarations that she is not a maid. And in that legacy will be fond memories, wisdom, and lots of smiles.
To all the moms out there, thanks. Know that your words inspire and instruct long after you speak them.
