We’ve entered May, which means it’s the time of year to celebrate mothers. I consider myself lucky to have a mother worth celebrating indeed.

When you get to be an adult, you realize that mom is your silent supporter. When other friends and adults would have turned away in frustration with your repetition of woes and problems, mom is always there. And mom is known for her advice.

I learned a lot of things from my mom. “To always have class” whenever you are unsure of what to do in a situation – what to wear, how to behave, etc.  Always err on the side of having class.

Never be vulgar. There’s really no appropriate situation.

And (random), “Goats have kids, people have children. And children are never “accidents” – they are surprises.”

OK, mom.

But I think the best advice my mom ever gave me was this:

“Unfortunately, life’s not fair. Don’t expect it to be fair, because sometimes it’s not. When something bad happens, all you can do is make the best decision with what you have in front of you. Don’t spend time wondering why it happened, “it’s not fair” or “what if?” All you can do is make the best decision you can with the information you have in front of you and move forward.”

Wise words. And so true.

As one who is prone to ponder the “why?” in everything, these words have saved me countless sleepless nights. Just make the best decision you can and move on.

In the words of Dorie from Finding Nemo: “Just keep swimming…Just keep swimming.”

This one piece of advice has also saved me a mountain of regret. Looking back on choices that turned out to be less than desired, I ask myself, “Did you make the best decision you could with the information you had at the time?”

If the answer is “No” – shame on me. If I was careless, emotional or in denial about something, there’s no excuse.

But if the answer is “Yes,” then no regrets. Sometimes we forget, we’re not omniscient and you can’t judge your decisions in the past with information you acquired in the future. All you can do is learn from your mistakes to influence future decisions.

Thankfully my mom is still here, just a phone call away when advice is needed or sometimes just a listening ear.

So, thanks Mom!

 

What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?