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My mom never said this, but for the most part when I think of my mom and her advice I think of this phrase: "Do as I say, not as I do." She had good advice for the most part, but she very obviously struggles to follow it herself. She too easily falls for men (something she hated to see in me when I was in high school), makes decisions based solely on what feels good (not what's responsible), and never lives within her budget, no matter how large or small.
What was she right about? "Don't get so serious about boys too fast." She was right that I should have concentrated more on developing friendships in high school rather than my dating relationships.
What was she wrong about? "Play by the rules, use them to your advantage." Playing by the rules isn't enough. There is a higher standard. Sometimes you have to focus on what you know is right, regardless of what the rules are. In other words, just because something isn't against the rules, it doesn't make it right. One time I remember I was explaining a dilemma I had in whether to prepare for a test in a way that wasn't technically cheating, but that I knew wasn't right. I lost so much respect for her when she, more or less, told me to do what I knew wasn't right. To this day I'm not sure if she understands the difference. Her own obliviousness to that higher standard (most directly in using me for her own financial gain -- at my financial expense) has caused countless strains on our relationship.
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