Mama had a saying for just about everything, but one I heard more often than I’d like to admit was, “You made your bed, now lie in it.”
She wasn’t talking about whether I’d actually made my bed. If she had been, I’d have been in trouble every morning. (and still would today.)
She used those words whenever one of my brilliant childhood plans didn’t work out quite the way I’d imagined. Like spending my allowance on candy instead of the school fundraiser, staying up too late on a school night or volunteering for something before I thought about what it actually involved. Somehow, Mama always knew how the story would end.
Of course, she never said it with a grin. I can appreciate the humor now, but back then, not so much.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized her point wasn’t to make me feel bad. It was to remind me that our choices matter. The good news is that they matter in wonderful ways, too.
If we choose kindness, people remember it. If we invest time in family, friendships tend to grow stronger. If we show up, pitch in and do our best at work or in our community, opportunities have a funny way of finding us.
And yes, sometimes we still make spectacularly bad decisions. We’ve all sent the text to the wrong person, forgotten an important date or convinced ourselves that assembling furniture without reading the instructions would be “easy.” That’s just life keeping us humble.
Mama understood something we sometimes forget. Every day is another chance to make a better bed. Yesterday’s mistakes don’t have to become tomorrow’s habits.
I still hear her voice from time to time, usually after one of my own less-than-brilliant ideas. Instead of cringing, I smile. She wasn’t predicting my failure. She was reminding me that I had the power to make better choices the next time around.
Turns out, making your bed isn’t such a bad thing after all.
“Whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” — Galatians 6:7
What Mama said: Life lessons you didn’t know you needed—until Mama said them.
Enjoyed this article. Read more What Mama Said… by Susan Espiritu.
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