Morsels of Wisdom

I grew up with a mother whose everyday language was peppered with simple, life learning adages. One of the most common ones she was fond of saying was: The devil doesn't know more because he's the devil; the devil knows more because he is old.

There is something quite true in that statement. The morsels of sageness my mother would gift were a combination of ones she had gained in life through wisdom and experience, coupled with ones gifted down to her by her own mother, who had learned it from her mother, and so on. Adages are part of family culture, handed down through generations. And although I do not use adages as often as my mother did, it is quite impossible for me not to use one as a form of simple, symbolic explanation when the need arises. And, each time I do, I remember my mother.

And I thought - what morsels of wisdom have I gained in life so far? What do I want to gift my daughter? And these are the things I've learned so far:

1. that slowing down has been the greatest lesson I've learned, but it has also been the hardest.

2. that laughter is the best medicine. The biggest cliche, yet so true.

3. that a good, heart-wrenching cry can sometimes make you feel better and exorcise whatever ails you.

4. that patience is a gift that life teaches you along the way.

5. that forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others.

6. that a long, healthy life is not a guarantee.

7. that in times of crisis, everyone surrenders to something greater than themselves.

8. that we all have crosses to bear, but none that we cannot lift.

9. that in time, everyone you love will eventually disappoint you or hurt you. but this is due to the high expectations of perfection we hold others to and not the fact that we are all human with frailties and flaws.

10. that you can be a good, caring and loving mother, but you can never be a savior.

11. that sometimes the greatest and most difficult gift you can give your child is to have them learn the lessons themselves.

12. that no matter where you work, you will encounter the same type of nonsense, just different people. there are no perfect people; there is no perfect job.

13. that a happy face sometimes masks a very sad life.

14. that a smile can go a long way in your relationship to others.

15. that anger is the suit of armor of the deeply hurt.

16. that your greatest enemy is sometimes your greatest teacher.

17. that if you allow fears to rule your life, you have built a coffin for yourself.

18. that phobias are completely irrational, yet the mind fails to understand this.

19. that you should take the time to become well-informed and educated, otherwise the world will leave you behind.

20. that laughter is the best equalizer and tension breaker.

21. that silence sometimes speaks louder than words.

22. that all the answers you seek in life are already at your disposal. you just need to stop and listen to your inner voice.

23. that a quiet person is not necessarily an uninformed person.

24. that a vocal person is not necessarily a smart person.

25. that arrogance is the suit of the insecure.

26. that anger is a toxic emotion that must be managed and reined in, otherwise it can kill many relationships.

27. that envy is a cancer that will eat away at your insides.

28. that depression can kill.

29. that when you loose a child, you will never understand why.

30. that you are the greatest role model to your same sex child. (actually, Dr. Phil said this.)

31. that parenting is the hardest job in the world, yet the most gratifying.

32. that your child does not need you to become his/her best friend - he/she needs to be parented with all of the responsibilities that that entails. becoming a best friend is easy, being a responsible parent who will many times be hated, is not.

33. that drinking does not solve problems, in fact, it only magnifies them.

34. that compassion for yourself, others, animals and nature is an essential life-giving force to your heart and soul.

35. that being humble and gracious are assets that cannot be taught.

36. that evil unfortunately exists.

37. that love always prevails.

38. that you cannot control what happens in this life, but you can control how you will respond or react and, hopefully, learn the lessons given along the way.

And what are the little morsels of wisdom you have learned? What are some adages you'd like to pass on?