By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Do you have a favorite Mom or Dad quote that you’ve passed on?
Recently, I was at my son’s home and his precious wife told one of the kids who couldn’t find something in the fridge to “look with his hands.” I laughed and told her that’s what I’d told my sons. She said my son was the one who started it.
I posed the same question on Facebook and asked for favorite and unusual Mom and Dad quotes. The responses had me admiring and laughing at the wit and wisdom and I couldn’t resist sharing with you.
- “My mom once told me to say something poetic since no one was talking during dinner!”
- I was always irritated when I asked my dad for the definition of a word. He would always tell me to, “Look it up. The smartest person in the room is not the one that knows everything but knows where to get the information.” I told my daughter the same thing most of the time.
- “Think before you speak.”
- From my mom, “Leave it better than you found it.” Now my grands say it. It means so much more than just a place. She left others better than she found them. We are better for her quiet diligence, unwavering faith, and loyalty. So much more.
- My Mom had 5 children in 8 years. On more than one occasion, I remember her response when asked, “Where are you going?” “Crazy, you want to come?”
- My mom always said, “You can make of yourself whatsoever you wish—if you work.”
- From my husband’s mother—“Be thrifty.” “Sit little.”
- From my mother—from her mother—“Cain’t never could do nothin’.”
- “It’s not enough to know; you need to DO!”
- If we weren’t moving fast enough for her, my mom would say, “Move like you’re alive!”
- When something tasted really good, Dad would say, “That’s so good, it makes your tongue slap your brains out!”
- When something worked really well or was pretty cool, he’d say, “Well, that’s slicker than snot on a doorknob!”
- “If you love someone or appreciate them, don’t fail to tell them.”
- “You can’t hoot with the owls on Saturday night and fly with the eagles on Sunday morning.”
- Mom would say, “Just do it.”
- My mom always said, ”Money doesn’t grow on trees. You have to work for it.”
- My Dad used to say, “For a good corn crop it should be knee high by the Fourth of July!” Well, I don’t grow corn, Dad, but good to know!
- My mom, with her heavy Spanish accent, “Get up and try again!”
- Or, if we complained about something hurting (my finger hurts, my head hurts…), she’d always tease, “It won’t hurt anymore if we cut it off.”
- Or if we were pouting, “A bird is going to poop on your lip.” (Can you tell she didn’t tolerate whining very much?)
- Yup. Did all of those with mine.
- My dad was a Phi Beta Kappa and very philosophical. He’d say, “Nothing can disturb the calm poise of my regnant soul.“ For the longest time, I thought he was saying “pregnant soul.“
- “If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.” Referring to choosing wisely who you spend time with and who your friends are.
- My grandmother always said when I was struggling with someone who treated me badly and wanted to lash out at them, “Don’t get into a stinkin’ match with a skunk, it’s his business!”
- “It’s never really lost until Mom can’t find it!”
- My mom often said, “If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all.”
- My grandma used to say, “There is a little insanity in all of us.” She married a man from St. Louis. Right after the marriage, he came back with five kids. She didn’t know about them. It was her second marriage, and she already had five kids. Guess she had a reason to say it.
- “Stop fighting his hands. He’s trying to mold you.”
- “Lean into Him – He is at your front, back and sides – on this you can always rely.”
Do you have a favorite Mom or Dad quote? Let’s share!
Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate the new release of CONCRETE EVDICENCE by entering my Reader Giveaway! Help me congratulate the following winners:
Naomi S. from Indiana
Jannie E. from Texas
Martha T. from Iowa
Kim H. from Georgia
Comments 24
So many of the quotes are also the same ones that I heard while growing up. My mother used to say, “Laugh, and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.” She was letting me know that I better get over being upset or hurt or I would be left alone. An expression that my friend’s grandfather used to say and I find myself saying it often when I’m laughing with one of my silly friends is, “I believe that person is a case and two empties.” Finally, my dad quoted Col. 3:23 often as he was teaching me to lead by example in my church youth group or anywhere. He was sharing the importance of volunteerism and he led by example. I quote this often, “Do all things as unto the Lord.” He added, “If a person wants to pay you, accept it with thanksgiving, but if they don’t offer, do the work with joy as if working for the Lord.”
Marlena, thank you so much. This is a keeper: “I believe that person is a case and two empties.” I loved the reminder of Col. 3:23.
One thing Dad always told me and my 6 siblings when something went wrong or we got hurt a little bit: “It will be better before you’re married!”
Elizabeth, I love that. Still laughing. Thanks!
Hello DiAnn,
Too bad I missed your contest announcement; my Dad had a bunch of sayings. When I’d say I had looked everywhere for something and couldn’t find it, he’d say, “Look somewhere else.”
He also said, “People are crazier than anybody.”
And, “It isn’t what we don’t know that causes most problems; it’s what we knew but then forgot.”
Thanks, Lewis. The last one is a keper.
Thank You DiAnn and Congratulations to the winners!
Sarah, I appreciate your kind words and taking the time to comment.
My mom was always calm about accidents like spilled milk. She’d just cheerfully say while wiping it up (or telling us to wipe it up), “Well, now there’s a clean spot on the floor!” (With 3 kids in and out all day a floor purposely scrubbed wouldn’t stay clean very long.)
Thanks, Stephanie, your mom had a terrific attitude!
Our Grandpa if someone said This meat is tough..he would say “It’s tougher where there’s none “
Noreen, I love your grandpa’s quote. And he’s right!
These are funny, and I’ve heard some of them myself! My mother’s favorite quote was “It never hurts to ask,” something that benefitted my sales career. A funny saying she would say if someone was really slow and lazy, “He’s too slow to scratch fire off his head!” Or if you wanted us to help clean up after dinner, “Grab a root and growl!” The last two were pretty strange. I did not pass those on to my children.
Hi Marilyn, I’ve never heard the last two quotes from your mother! Someone must have written a book filled with Mom and Dad sayings!
Love these quotes. They made me laugh too! Congratulations to all the winners!
Thanks, Barbara, some are really funny!
My mom would add to an adage: “You’re known by the company you keep.” She added, “and the books you read.” When we were children, she read our books before we did to be sure we weren’t getting the wrong message.
We also grew up with this bit of advice from her: Don’s ask someone else to do something you can do yourself.
Peggy, you had a great mom with sage advice. Love her sayings!
I wish I could remember these when appropriate. My favorite, “where you going?” Crazy, you want to come?
My mom always said, “ the hurrier I go the behinder I get!” I made her a cross-stitch sampler with that saying on it. Now it’s in my house.
Thanks, Gail! I know I’ve forgotten some of my mother’s sayings!
DiAnn,
Thank you for this trip down Memory Lane. Some familiar, but many new to me!
Blessings!
Thanks, Debbie, someone needs to write a book about the sayings we grew up with!
From Pastor Max who was my spiritual father: “In the light of eternity, what does it matter?” I’ve used this quote a lot because most things don’t matter.
Naomi, I really like that one. It’s a keeper. Thanks!