Mom-isms: Advice from My Mother

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Even though there’s only one day technically dedicated to these rock stars, we really should be acknowledging them every damn minute of every day. None of us would be who we are without our moms. Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to have a strong relationship with their mother. But I thank my lucky stars every single day that I do. My mom is my therapist, my personal assistant, my nurse, my guiding light and my best friend. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’ve compiled some of my favorite “Mom-isms.” Got some gems from your own Mom? Share ‘em in the comments!

Love you, Mom.

 

Colorfully Yours,

Haley

 

JUST BE YOU

The piece of advice that has made me who I am. It sounds obvious and simple, but in the world we live in, it’s far from it. This is where “Haley’s Life in Color” came from—but of course I don’t just mean the blog. I’ve always been unique and fierce, but it took me a long time to fully own that. Today I can say I am more myself than I’ve ever been, and I owe quite a bit of that to her.

NEVER SETTLE

I’ve written a post about this in the past. This is a huge one for me. It has molded both my career and my personal life. Both of my parents are huge proponents of not settling—for a relationship, for a job, for a friendship that isn’t giving me what I deserve. And for better or for worse, my mom never forgets to remind me of this one…even when I don’t want to hear it.

MAKE YOUR OWN SUCCESS

My mom has always told me that I need to make my own success and have my own life apart from the man I end up with. After all, nothing is guaranteed, and if things go awry in a relationship, I should be able to pick up and go on my own. I shouldn’t ever feel like I owe someone something or that they can hold things over my head. I’ve taken this one seriously—I pretty much never let a guy pay on the first date. Call me crazy, but I don’t want anyone to ever have the upper hand.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FRIENDSHIPS

While my dad takes it to heart when friends show the slightest bit of disloyalty to me, my mom has a different approach. She says there are friends to talk to about important things and share secrets with, and then there are friends to just have fun with. The important thing is to know the difference.

IF HE’LL CHEAT WITH YOU, HE’LL CHEAT ON YOU

I think I was in high school when she first told me this one. She heard it on Dr. Phil or Oprah or something, and it stuck with her. So naturally, it has stuck with me, too. It’s pretty self-explanatory. Never think you’re the one that’s “changed” him—actions speak louder than words.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

Obviously my mom didn’t invent this one. And some people disagree with it—how can it be true when bad things happen to good people? Well, when a woman that went through several rounds of chemo and radiation still counts this as her favorite saying, you know it means something. A similar one she loves: Que sera, sera (whatever will be, will be).

Honorable Mentions:

  • Always carry a sweater
  • Thank-you notes go a long way
  • Life’s short, eat the dessert
  • A $12 bottle of wine does the job just fine
  • Someday your prince will come
  • Drama has no age
  • Karma, karma, karma

You may like these, too!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.