Growing up, my siblings and I got all the usual Mom advice and words of wisdom. You know the ones: Always have on clean underwear in case you are in an accident. “Please” and “thank you” really are magic words. And who can forget “Your face is going to freeze that way,” or this classic, “If all your friends jump off a cliff, does that mean you’ll jump too?”

It really is all good advice (except maybe for the face-freeze one. What is that all about?) But the best words of wisdom we received from Mom is a list she wrote of the important lessons she had learned in life. I’m so glad she wrote them down so I can share them with you. In her own words, here are Mom’s life lessons:

• I have learned that your family is the most important thing in life.
• I have learned that what you have isn’t as important as what you are.
• I have learned you have to trust God for all things.
• You must trust people, though many of them will let you down, hurt, and disappoint you.
• I’ve learned not to judge people by first impressions because many times first impressions are wrong.
• I’ve tried to learn to be patient and let God take care of everything.
• I have learned how good it is to have the love of a good man.

I don’t know about you, but I think that about covers it.

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