Mum Knows Better

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