Even though I am a mother, and even now the mother of a mother, each year when the Mother’s Day holiday comes around, instead of celebrating my mother status, I find myself mostly reflecting on memories of my own mom. There are those things that you learn from a parent that stick in your head forever, that become that little voice of reason, the small reminder nagging in the back of your mind, the ingrained habit or something to chuckle over if we think about it.  We all have them. It can be something as simple as “Don’t go out without a hat in the cold weather”, or “Take an umbrella” or a little more philosophical, as in “If everyone jumps off the cliff you are going to jump off the cliff too?”

After my mom passed away, I began writing down those things; the mom-isms and sensible advice that she instilled in us.  With the help of my siblings, so far we have come up with a list of 100 things our mother taught us that we incorporate into our daily lives – things that still randomly pop up in our heads – some of which we have passed on and instilled in our own children.  Each year I resend the list to all of us in order to remember, laugh, and honor the beautiful person who raised us and is still in our hearts.

I am not going to post our entire list of “100 Things I Learned From My Mother”, but I will share some of them:

1. Early morning is the most peaceful time.
2. Don’t brush your hair in the kitchen.
3. Cleanliness isn’t expensive  – soap and water are cheap.
4. Good, dark chocolate.
5. An appreciation of art.
6. Read to your children at bedtime.
7. Honesty is important.
8. A few basic good pieces in your wardrobe can last for years.
9. Make your bed every morning – a made bed feels better getting into at night.
10. Always pay your bills on time.
11. A woman should keep an account for herself just in case.
12. You are never too old to take a class.
13. Keep extra sweatshirts around for when the kids come home.
14. The sun makes you feel good.
15. Appreciate simplicity.
16.  Moisturize.
17. Sing when you’re happy, no matter who is listening.
18. Water can never be too hot when cleaning.
19. Make a mental note of where you’ve parked at the mall.
20. Hug and kiss your kids, no matter how old they are.
21. Modern art is really art.
22. Details are important.
23. Ginger ale makes you feel better when you’re sick.
24. Museums are wonderful places.
25. Flush the public toilet with your foot
26. A library card is your passport
27. Read the newspaper, know what’s going on in the world
28. Artichokes are strange and wonderful
29. It’s nice to treat your friends to lunch every now and then
30. Setting a beautiful dinner table makes a meal special
31.  When it thunders, the angels are roller skating
32. Surround yourself with the things of beauty
33. Put your glasses down where you can always find them
34. Don’t be afraid to try different kinds of foods or restaurants
35. Let your kids know how proud you are of them
36. If you borrow a stick of butter, return an entire package.
37. Sometimes the store brand really is better.
38. New babies are angels.
39. Listen to the birds sing.
40. Do not hesitate to let someone know you love them.