My mother is the strongest woman I know.
She did all household chores and ran the house like clockwork. My mother ensured my father, sister, and I had fresh supplies of clothes everyday, rain or shine. She was a splendid cook, and a strict disciplinarian. Things got done.
Throughout the years, she taught my sister and I to do specific things. Sometimes, she instructed us. Other times, she would nag. “Don’t do that”, she would say. And I would do just that, to her dismay.
Still, she had a reason for every action. My mother dispensed practical tips for life and I practised them till today. It was a motherly kind of wisdom honed without any tutorial, guide, or rulebook. Afterall, she belonged to a generation who believed that hard work was everything. If she could build a house herself, she would.
In those days, knowledge was passed on from one person to another. And as best as I can remember, these were her lessons:
- Focus while walking
- Work and study harder
- Check, then check again
- If it fails, try fixing it first
- Be proud of your strengths
- Be early rather than on time
- Do not stomp on the ground
- Figure it out before giving up
- Look both ways before crossing
- Do not forget your water bottle
- Do it yourself whenever you can
- Go to bed early, on time, and often
- Close the windows when you leave
- Carry an umbrella wherever you go
- Seek alternatives when you are stuck
- Check your belongings before you leave
- Turn off the lights when you exit the room