Késsinnimek - Roots - RacinesMAMA SAYS
by
Louise Dubrule
by
Louise Dubrule
There are universal truths that cross all ethnic and language barriers. Our mothers were the source of wisdom that had been passed down through the ages; and somehow we find some of those bits coming out of our mouths, directed at our children and grandchildren.
Of course, we all heard the same admonitions:
Don’t run with scissors.
Say “thank you.”
Play nice.
Sit up straight.
Chew with your mouth shut.
I can give you something to cry about.
Wash your hands.
Shut the door.
Don’t tip back the chair (the most frequently heard one in our house, according to our daughters)
Pick up your (whatever)
Be careful with that (fill in the blank)…you’ll poke your eye out.
If you keep making that face, the wind will change and you’ll freeze that way.
I hope that someday you’ll have a child just like you.
Eat what’s on your plate…there are hungry children in China.
Make sure your underwear is clean and mended: you never know when you’ll be in an accident. (When our younger daughter called to tell us that she had fallen down a deep manhole on campus, she prefaced her news with “It’s OK, Mom. I had on clean underwear.”)
The same held true for nightwear…in case the house caught on fire and you had to stand outside.
My dear mother had other wise words that have become guiding principles.
On Prayer:
If you fall asleep before you finish your prayers, the angels will finish them for you.
Don’t bother God…he’s busy with big problems. Instead ask Mary to talk to her son for you, for who can resist a mother?
Pray for what you want, but be sure you really want it.
All prayers are answered, and sometimes the answer is “no.”
The most important things in life are God and your family; the rest of the world is outside your door.
On daily life:
Make your bed and wash your breakfast dishes to give yourself motivation to be neat and tidy first thing in the morning. Even if you’re having a bad day, comb your hair and put on makeup and something becoming…you don’t have to make the rest of the world feel bad just looking at you.
Guard your reputation, for once it’s lost, you might not be able to get it back.
Passing on gossip is like emptying a feather pillow in the wind; the feathers and your words are impossible to retrieve.
Don’t be too proud to pick up a penny on the ground.
Any honest work deserves your best effort.
On love and marriage:
Don’t marry a man thinking you can change him…it’ll never happen.
Don’t complain about your husband because every other one has faults, and probably worse ones than yours has.
Keep your private life private.
On cooking:
All vegetables are improved by adding a pinch of sugar to the cooking water.
Don’t add salt to meat until it’s nearly done.
If you have to add water to baking bens in the oven, be sure to use boiling water.
Always scald the milk when making bread.
When what you’re cooking starts to smell really good, check on it because it’s getting ready to burn.
A little white vinegar makes pie crust more tender.
To be sure you have enough, you have to make too much, especially if you’re having company.
On crafts:
If you don’t have the exact color of thread you need to put in a hem, use a darker color because a lighter one will look like lice crawling on the material.
Measure twice and cut once.
To make something pretty, first you have to make a mess.
Save your sewing and yarn scraps because they will come in handy someday. (You should see my boxes of snippets!)
For sure, if you throw them out, you’ll be looking for them a few days later.
On laundry: (we hung clothes outside)
Put the sheets and towels on the outside lines, with the undies on the inside lines.
Rust, tomato and other stains disappeared with the application of lemon juice and salt followed by strong sunlight.
Wash whites first, in hot water, then light colors in warm, and darks in cold water last. (This made sense when using a wringer washer that didn’t get refilled between loads; so why do I still do it?)
On money values:
For many years there was a luxury tax on purses. Mama maintained that if that was the case, they should tax the pockets on men’s pants too for they had the same function.
During World War II, silk went for parachutes and rayon stockings made their first appearance. They were less than sturdy, and Mama declared that for the length of time they lasted, they should cost no more than ten cents.
Doctors were fine when you were really sick or injured, but Mama felt that you should stay away from them otherwise because they didn’t make any money unless they found something wrong.
Perhaps the sagest advice she passed on was “La nuit porte conseil” (the night brings counsel). When faced with a knotty problem, have something to eat, say your prayers and go to sleep. Odds are that you’ll wake with a solution in the morning. I’d like a nickel for every time I said that to one or the other of our girls as they were growing up.
Good advice never goes out of style.
Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines
Copyright © 2003 & 2004 & 2005 & 2006 Norm Léveillée
© Tous droits réservés
Created 1 Feb 2003