By Cheryl Mattox Berry
Growing up, I rarely heard about a teenager going to a psychologist. All of my problems were solved at the kitchen table. While my mother cooked dinner, I sat at the table and did my homework. When I finished, I told tell her everything that happened to me at school that day – the good, the bad and the ugly. She listened patiently and offered advice.
Sometimes, I’d bend my grandmother and aunt’s ear with my problems. Of course, I half listened to their advice or so I thought. As I got older, I realized that I had unknowingly taken to heart their suggestions, and they had helped me throughout high school, college and career.
I’ve even found myself repeating some of the things I heard as a teenager to my daughter. Here are a few pearls of wisdom imparted by the women who raised me:
- Be patient; some things take a while.
- Cheer up. It’s not the end of the world.
- Don’t tell everything. Keep some things to yourself.
- If you can’t say something nice about somebody, just don’t say anything.
- Nobody wants to hear you complain all the time.
- Learn from your mistakes.
- Sometimes you need to just sit with your mouth closed and listen. You might just learn something.
- Everybody is not going to like you, but you can’t be worried about that. Just do your job the best you can.
- Learn how to ignore people who get on your nerves.
- Pray and trust in the Lord.
My all-time favorite is below.
Serenity Prayer
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
My mother made me repeat it often. It still hangs in her laundry room, and I have a plaque with the inscription. The words calm, comfort and help me focus on what’s important. They can do the same for you. Memorize them!