Wordy Wednesday: Wisdom from My Parents

Since we recently celebrated Mother's Day and Father's Day, I thought I'd gather a few things my parents have taught me over the years.  Hope they don't read some of these and go, HUH?!?  My memory is not the best, and I'm also a procrastinator, so I don't have to time to have my sister approve this message's accuracy. 

1. You do for family.

2. Respect authority. You may not like them, you may not agree with them, but you show respect.  Praying for them doesn't hurt either.

3. Everything you have was given to you by God. It's not really yours, so give freely, and hold on loosely.

4. You spell love, T-I-M-E. (see also, #1)

5. If God tells you to move, do it. And don't let the door hit you on the way out.

6. Volunteer

7. Laughter and stupidity are fun.  Laughing at yourself is a good idea too.

8. When company or family comes, make their favorite meal. (see also, #1)

9. The only opinion that matters is God's.

10. Always be teachable, you never stop learning.

11. Children should be valued.

12. When you apologize, do it right.

13. Family is fluid. Sometimes it's flesh and blood, and sometimes it's your friends or other people you meet along the way. 

14. Every day is a day you can be a blessing.

15. It's never too late to admit that you were wrong. (see also, #12)

16. If you're thinking about someone, let them know.

I could go on and on, and honestly, I typed these out in about ten minutes.  When you've spent time separated, gone through extreme situations with family millions of miles away, you appreciate things a little more.  And apparently feel compelled to be sappy.  Some days I feel like a great mom, most days, not so much. Looking at this list, I feel overwhelmed!  How did they do it?  How did my parents manage to teach so much by example?  If I do half as well as they did, I'd be thrilled.

(Stay tuned for part 2 next week! I'll expand on those points a bit and maybe even add a few)