U Is For Understanding My Mother

My mother always saw herself as the Little Red Hen

To know my mother is to, well, know my mother. She doesn't hold much back and has plenty to say. But to really understand my mother, all you have to do is listen to some of her favorite sayings. My sister and I grew up listening to her mantras and while they did get repetitive, the message certainly came across. Here are my three favorites:
People died so that you could vote. My mother believes in freedom, and in this expression she's referring to the American Revolution. A war fought so that the American people could be free and were ultimately free to vote and make their own decisions. Needless to say, every year on election day, my sister and I vote and remind each other that people died so we could so that.
If you don't say it, you can't be quoted. I've used this on my own kids and expanded it to if you don't email it, text it, it can't be forwarded. This is a lesson we've all had to learn- the women in my family have big mouths- all of us. I still repeat this mantra to myself often.
You're never just a little pregnant. This is my favorite and the one that scared me to death as a teenager, and a young woman in my twenties. Let's just say that it worked well enough that I never had to approach her and tell her I was just a little pregnant.

My A to Z posts were themed with food, parenting and life, but not necessarily in that order. I hope you've enjoyed reading them!