A Little homegrown wisdom

Things I have learned from Dad and Mom

1. Yes you can. Of course you can.

2. If you can’t, just file that away; some day, you can.

3. Hang your laundry up to dry.

4. Hammer your own nails.

5. Hammer your neighbor’s nails.

6. Let your neighbor help hammer your nails.

7. Pay your bills.

8. Music makes practically every task a little less troublesome.

9. Singing in the car is not stupid.

10. Your clan really matters.

11. Your friends really matter.

12. When your friends fail to understand you, your clan probably will. When you clan fails to understand you, your friends probably will. You need both.

13. Get out of bed and go to church.

14. Get out of bed and go to work. Keep doing that.

15. A cell phone is nice. Someone on the other end is essential.

16. What you don’t have might be attainable; what you do have has been attained, so use it.

17. Re-use it. Several times.

18. Fly when you are young.

19. Tell your stories.

20. Tell your children your stories.

21. Tell yourself what your story will be.

22. Let your children do ridiculous things.

23. When your children decide it was ridiculous, don’t say that you knew it all along.

24. Smile at the grumpy checkout lady. She is related to your neighbor or to you.

25. Keep your word; in a small town, that’s your credit rating.

26. Listen when your father is speaking. No, not only the words-to him.

27. Pay attention. Less costly than mistakes.

28. Everything that has been done in the past 40 years is the result of the previous 20 years in the family; all was done for a reason; and you, too will make great wins and huge mistakes. Just keep trying.

29. Sow your money into what you believe in. Let your kids see it.

30. We are all in this together. And that is exactly why you have to fill the woodbox.

31. While you are thinking your woodbox job sucks, your parents are busy doing a job ten times more difficult that has to get done too.

32. Fix your car.

33. Buy a better car.

34. Love your neighbors.

35. Count your blessings. Count your sorrows. Count your money, and count on life being busy. But mostly, count your blessings.

36. Smile and then answer the phone.

37. Let your kid play the trumpet in the house.

38. Get a massive christmas tree. Make your own ornaments.

39. If you are going to make improvements, you are going to have to tear a few things down.

40. Don’t be surprised when you bruise your fingernail.

41. If you step on a nail it will always, always, hurt. Get a tetanus shot and suck it up. (note-my mother has stepped on 6 nails.)

42. I always and forever will love you and do whatever needs to be done to get that through your thick, stubborn skull!