One of the sayings my mom loved to remind us of when we were growing up was, “You can’t have your cake, and eat it too.” It usually came up whenever my sister and I tried to pull one of our classic tricks–pretending to be sick so we could skip school. The plan was simple: tell Mom we weren’t feeling well, stay home, and spend the day watching TV or playing. In our minds, it was the perfect win-win. But, of course, mom had other ideas.

Growing up, my mom had a way of turning any chore into something almost fun. She’d always say, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” At first, I had no idea what she meant, but it quickly became clear. Whenever my sister and I faced the daunting task of cleaning our rooms, instead of the usual “Clean your room!” which felt like a never ending mountain of work, she’d say “Pick a corner!” She made it a game where we’d focus on one small area at a time, and suddenly, the giant mess didn’t seem so overwhelming. It was all about breaking down the big tasks into little, manageable steps.

My mom always used to say, “I say what I mean and I mean what I say,” and looking back, it was something I didn’t fully grasp until I learned it the hard way. I remember one particular instance when I was being especially sassy, talking back in a way that I knew would push her buttons. She warned me that if I spoke to her like that again, I wouldn’t be able to go to my friend’s sleepover. I didn’t take her warning seriously–I was certain she wouldn’t follow through.

One of my mom’s favorite sayings is, “Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.” As a kid, I heard this a lot, especially when my sister and I would beg for something. We were persistent, and the more we begged, the more my mom would remind us of this proverb. The perfect example of this came when we begged for hamsters. We promised we’d take care of them, so eventually, after much convincing, my parents took us to the pet store to pick out our new furry friends.

When I was 7, I made a choice I’m not proud of–but it’s a memory I'll never forget. My mom, my sister, and I were all at the grocery store, and I spotted this adorable stuffed animal kitten. I wanted it so badly, but my mom said no. For some reason, I decided to take it anyway. I tucked the kitten inside the front pocket of my overalls, hoping no one would notice. But, of course, my mom saw it the second we got to the car. I thought I was in the clear, but I was so wrong.