You may not want to admit it, but you will slowly turn into your mother – and you will be happy about it. You will follow in her footsteps and begin to tell your friends and your children what your mom told you. Before you know it, you will be doing the same night time routine to your own child as your mother did to you. Your mother holds wisdom that only you will gain in time. Your mother’s nagging, provoking, and questioning will come full circle when you realize that she was right about it all.
The mother-daughter relationship is never easy; however after gaining perspective from years of break-ups, fights with friends, and job changes, you will realize all the times your mother was right. As a child you want to be her, as a teen you loathe and blame her, as an adult you admire her, and as a mother you emulate her. It may be hard to admit, but our mothers really do know best. So here are the top 7 times your mother was right.
1. Lose The Bad Boy
You may need to make this mistake several times before you truly accept this advice. You may be crying on the bathroom floor for the tenth time before you realize this is one of the times your mother was right. The bad boy may be the other half of a passionate and torrid love affair where the fighting turns into foreplay. The bad boy will lie, cheat, and manipulate – yet you will rationalize his every behavior because you are way too deep into the hole to have any clarity. You will justify his actions and try to convince yourself that he truly loves you and can change. But it’s time to face the facts and listen to your mom; he will not change and he is not committed – drop him.
2. Visit Your Grandparents
You often visit your grandparents because you have to or out of guilt. You don’t realize how precious those moments are to your grandparents or will one day be to you. Before you know it, your grandparents will no longer be able to bake you fresh banana muffins when you come over or share an embarrassing story of your parent’s childhood. Enjoy the time you have with them on this earth, as it passes too quickly. They will teach you invaluable lessons, shine light on where you come from, and keep you grounded. Visit them as often as you can and cherish those moments.
3. Don’t Smoke
This nasty and fatal habit lures people of all ages into its trap. The media has unfortunately paired it to looking sexy and cool and it’s addictive taste relentlessly claws into you. The worst thing you can do for your health is pick up a cigarette. Not only will it bring you closer to life’s end, but also causes cancer, premature aging, and other health risks. Listen to your mother and don’t start this terrible habit, or quit now if you already have. We no longer live in a world where the generation was uninformed about the consequences of smoking; there is no other excuse.
4. Nothing Good Happens after 2am
Go home before the party ends and the bar closes. The new guy you met is too intoxicated to remember your conversation over last call. The messy hookup at his place will not be the foundation for a lasting relationship. That fourth gin and tonic will keep you in bed for the entire next day. There comes a point on every night out when staying out has no point. The night will take a turn to just reckless debauchery which may seem like a good idea at the time; however, decisions you make in the wee-hours of the morning have consequences the following day and will leave a mark on your conscience. You mother is right; nothing good happens after 2am – or even after midnight.
5. Tell The Truth
Lying is the weak way out that will always catch up to you. You can be so good at deceiving others that you do so to yourself and get caught up in the lie. However, as your mother warned you, the truth always comes out. Being dishonest is a terrible character trait to have on your shoulders and being pegged as a liar will give you an uphill battle to face in order to gain someone’s trust. There may be some fallout for telling the truth; however, the mess will be easier to clean up than of that from a lie. Clear your conscience and speak only of the truth; there is no need to carry the heavy burden of a lie.
6. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Jealousy is a vicious demon; it takes over your mind and clouds your judgment. Women spend too much time comparing their bodies, jobs, relationships, and lives to others’ rather than embracing their own. Everyone is given a unique path in life and you are not meant to walk the same one as another. Rather than wishing for what you don’t have, put your energy and effort into accepting what you do and making it better. You can only strive to be a better version of yourself, so if you are not happy with the life you are living now, only you can change it – and not by wishing it away or being jealous of someone else’s.
7. It Gets Better
When you are younger, your friends not including you in a trip to the mall is an inconceivable crisis. The guy in college that won’t properly date you seems like the end of the world. However, as you gain experience and perspective, you slowly realize that these moments do not define nor ruin your life. What seem like impossible obstacles eventually turn into small bumps in the road. You realize that there is more to life than worrying over the small things. You grasp the fact that time truly does heal. Your life experiences will give you the wisdom you need to know that life gets better. The fallout with a best friend in middle school may feel devastating in the moment because you haven’t experienced anything bigger yet. As you age and are confronted with more choices, battles, and opportunities, your perspective changes. You will fall down and break down, but you will always get back up. So let your mom calm you down over the phone or hug you to make you feel better – but know that she is right; it does get better.
