10 Best Lessons We've Learned from Our Moms

P&G

Growing up, my mom gave me a lot of advice. From warning me not to take candy from strangers to giving me fashion advice, my mother had plenty to say. However, some of the best lessons she taught me were through her actions. When I became a mother, I put some of her parenting and life lessons to good use.

I'm not the only one whose mom has taught them a lesson or two. In fact, here are 10 of the best lessons we have learned from our moms.

1. Don't Rush Life

When I was 21, I went on vacation with my parents. At the time, I was a substitute teacher and I was upset that I wasn't working more. My mother told me not to be in such a rush because I would be "working my entire life." She was right. After working full time and having kids, I definitely appreciate the slower days.

2. Be Truthful

Kristen's mother didn't lie, even about holiday characters. However, "she didn't take the fun out of it." After all, "it was still fun to pretend and have an imagination." Due to her mother's truthfulness, Kristen learned that "lies always backfired eventually, even if not right away."

3. Trust Your Inner Voice

Although we may have a lot of "voices" giving us advice, it's that inner voice that can lead us down the correct path. Tavia, a mom herself, says her mother told her to "trust that inner voice." After all, "there's always a reason why your inner voice is speaking to you. Don't ignore it."

4. Say "I Love You" Before Saying Goodbye

Have you ever had a fight with loved one, slammed the door and drove away? Mary, a fellow writer, says her mother taught her to "always tell someone you love them before saying goodbye or goodnight." This is so important because you "don't know if you'll get another chance" to tell that person how much you love them.

5. Be Strong and Independent

For Sandy, she was thankful that her mom taught her how to be a "strong" and "independent" woman. She says this definitely helped her out a lot in life. Teaching children to be strong and independent helps them avoid peer pressure.

6. Everyone Needs Love

Amanda's lesson is a generational one. She says, "My grandmother taught my mother, who taught me: the ones who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it the most."

7. Don't Worry About Being First

Not long ago, Art lost his mother to cancer. Yet, he still remembers many valuable life lessons she taught him. One of them was a biblical principle: "The first will be last and the last will be the first." She would say this when he was fighting with his two sisters to be "first."

8. Count Your Blessings

My grandmother was a smart woman. Although she passed away years ago, she always told my father to "Count your blessings and be grateful."

9. Learn to Love Books

With so many television programs, sometimes we forget to pick up a good book. Yet, since Edgar's mother taught him "to have a love for books," he remains "a committed bibliophile to this day."

10. Have Fun with your Kids

This one comes from my sister. Our mother was creative. My sister remembers "having a blast building fortresses" and "giant cities of blocks." Our mother was never too busy to have fun with us.

Content by Melissa Matters.