When you were little, your mother’s advice, perhaps accompanied by a welcome snuggle, provided comfort. When you were a teenager, anything she had to say (“Pretty is as pretty does!”) no doubt made you roll your eyes. But now that you’re grown, those words of hers are often the first thing to come out of your mouth or the silent mantra that guides your life. As these letters from Real Simple readers prove, Mom was talking, and, yes, you were listening.

This Month’s Winner

A Gift of Words
My family grew up poor in the inner city. During the summer, when I got bored and had nothing to do, I asked my mother why we couldn’t travel someplace out of the housing project where we lived. She led me by the hand to the local library and got me a library card. She sat me down and told me, “At the library, you can go anywhere you want when you read a book.” I’ll never forget the love for reading that she instilled in me and the marvelous adventures I’ve had just by visiting the library.
Donna Papapietro
East Boston, Massachusetts
Donna will receive a copy of the book Real Simple Solutions.

Words of Wisdom

“You’ve got to be an apple pie.” This was my mom’s advice for handling challenging situations. You can stay soft and sweet on the inside, but you have to develop a thicker outer crust. You can still be you — just stronger. These are the words I hold on to when faced with difficult circumstances.
Kati Clement-Fraizier
Carlsbad, California

As a teenager, I went through a very challenging time. Everything, it seemed, was falling apart around me. My mother took to leaving me messages — scrawled in soap on the bathroom mirror, on Post-it notes in my bag, and in countless letters and e-mails — with a single word: Believe. Each and every day, that word would appear as a constant reminder to believe in myself, believe in others, and simply believe in the possibility that things will get better. To this day, it is the greatest gift she has given me.
Allison Delaney
Portland, Maine

The best advice my mom ever gave me was eight simple words sung by the beloved Billie Holiday: “God bless the child that’s got his own.” My mom was a firm believer that every woman should have her own money, her own career, and her own ambitions so that she would never be dependent upon anyone. Having this sort of independence can make companionship and motherhood more rewarding. It’s wisdom that has served me well.
Kamara Blackman
Lawrenceville, New Jersey

My mother would always chime, “A little will show what a lot will be.” In other words, be aware of the little clues to a person’s true character. Over the years, this good advice has helped me make sound career decisions and saved me from a lot of heartache. Now that I am a mother, I find myself repeating these same wise words to my children.
Geraldine Moriba Meadows
Harlem, New York

I was going through a very difficult divorce and questioning my choices, my life, and, essentially, who I really was. I was also afraid of what people would think of me. My mother gave me a silver bracelet inscribed with Shakespeare’s words “To thine own self be true.” It turned out to be the best advice.
Grace Milner
Southbridge, Massachusetts

Whenever I was acting like a know-it-all teenager, my mother, who is from the Dominican Republic, had a saying for me: “En lo que tu bienes ya yo estoy de vuelta.” Roughly translated: “You’re on your way to where I am, and I’m already on my way back.” It was her way of letting me know there was nothing new in the world and she knew just what I was thinking and where I was headed.
Ahissa Branson
Lawrenceville, Georgia

My mom Linda’s favorite saying was “Don’t let other people rent space in your head unless you want them to.” Meaning, unless someone is worthy of your time and energy, don’t allow him to clutter your mind.
Deb Davis
Kent, Ohio

My mom’s greatest advice to me was “If you don’t make waves, no one will know you’ve been swimming.” She wanted to make sure I stood up for what I believed in. I watched her fight for the children she taught for nearly 30 years as an educator. Her leadership always set an example. My mom has made a lot of waves, and people definitely knew when she had been swimming. I can only hope to do the same.
Allison Bryan
Downers Grove, Illinois

The best thing my mother ever told me was to learn to be a responsible man by being independent enough to cook basic, quality meals, clean the house well, launder and iron clothing, and plant a garden. She knew that as a young man with four older sisters, I could have had them help and coddle me. But she was adamant that I know how to do it on my own.
Bruce Hatch
Vancouver, Washington

Rather than through words, my mom gives advice by example. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to treasure her positive attitude, her willingness to give to others, and her ability to get things done. But her best advice has to be “It’s never a bad thing to have another glass of wine.”
Staci Sleigh-Layman
Ellensburg, Washington