Things I learned from my mother/ like gambling

Article By Kimberly Avery

Growing up, I don't think I ever truly appreciated all the things my Mother taught me, but today I not only get it but often find myself passing on the same wisdom in the same concise, impactful way.

My Mother taught me about giving: "If you don't stop crying, I'm going to give you something to cry about."

She taught me the abstract reason: "Because I said so."

My mom taught me to wait for things: "Just wait until your father gets home."

She taught me about nature: "Money doesn't grow on trees."

She taught me what brings joy: "You won't be happy until you break that, will you?"

She warned me of the danger of joining a gang: "What if everyone jumped off a bridge? Would you do it too?"

She taught me chemistry: "You're not going to melt."

She taught me resourcefulness: "Don't let me catch you doing that again."

My Mother taught me priorities: "I really don't care what everyone else is doing. I only care what you are doing."

She taught me about conservation: "Close the door. I'm not paying to air condition the entire neighborhood."

My mom taught me to stick with it; "You're not going anywhere until that food is gone."

She taught me about empathy: "I don't care if you're not tired; I'm tired, so you're taking a nap."

My Mother taught me to never settle: "Don't you have anything better to do?" Instead, she taught me to be daring: "Go ahead, see what happens."

She taught me about her childhood: "I didn't just fall off a turnip truck yesterday, "and what lines of work she did not go to school for: "I'm not your taxi driver." "Do I look like you're maid?" "I'm not your answering service."

She taught me to use my imagination: "If it were a snake, it would have bit you."

She taught me to have patience: "Someday, you will thank me for this."

She taught me to consider fashion:" Are you really going out dressed like that?"

She taught me about natural disasters: "This room looks like a hurricane."

From her, I learned about the class system: "You're not the king," and the theory of relativity, "The world does not revolve around you."

She even taught me to gamble: "Kim, you better know when to walk away and know when to run."

Today I have found myself repeating much of what my Mother said to me to my own children, and I'm so grateful she cared enough to constantly invest in our lives. Like my mom, I hope my kids will remember some grain of truth from everything I tell them.

However, looking back, I now realize the most memorable lessons I learned from my mom were not from what she said; they were more often from who she was and is. I grew up watching my mom love Christ and people, including me, the way he did.

She taught me that loving people makes you a better friend, wife, and parent. If you know my mom, all of this is true - especially how much she loves and invests in others.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I couldn't love you more.