My son, obey your father’s commands, don’t neglect your mother’s teaching. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. Wherever you walk, their counsel can lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up in the morning, they will advise you. For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way to life. (Proverbs 6:20-23)

The author of these verses is Solomon. Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived. He knew that the day you start ditching your parent’s teaching is the same day your life starts heading towards the ditch.

Just what have you learned from your mother? Here’s a list from Mikey’s Funnies to jog your memory:

My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION:

“Just wait until your father gets home.”

My Mother taught me about RECEIVING:

“You are going to get it when we get home!”

My Mother taught me LOGIC:

“Because I said so, that’s why.”

My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE:

“If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.”

My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD:

“If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job.”

My Mother taught me ESP:

“Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you’re cold?”

My Mother taught me HUMOR:

“When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”

My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE:

“When you get to be my age, you will understand.”

My Mother taught me about JUSTICE:

“One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you’ll see what it’s like.”

My mother taught me RELIGION:

“You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL:

“If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!”

My mother taught me FORESIGHT:

“Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.”

My mother taught me IRONY:

“Keep crying and I’ll “give” you something to cry about.”

My mother taught me about STAMINA:

“You’ll sit there until all that spinach is finished.”

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times: Don’t Exaggerate!”

My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE:

“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”

My mother taught me about ENVY:

“There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do!”

Bring back any memories?

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that a mother has no choice but to operate out of one simple and pure motive: love. You may doubt that, you might question that, but it is absolutely true. That’s the way God wired all mothers. Here’s a testimonial from someone who knows:

I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids’ also.

But at least, I wasn’t alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You’d think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we’d be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less, –not one hour and one minute.

I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on our seats than it was to hold up Daddy’s pants. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.

We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have a mother who made us feel different from our friends?

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept, my mother actually had the nerve to break the child-labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even if it killed us, and it nearly did.

By the time we were teenagers, she was much wiser, and our life became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I were really there? I never had the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I’d had a boyfriend to elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.

Through the years, things didn’t improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, “sick” like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends had a toe ache, a hangnail or serious ailment, they could stay home from school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother being as different as she was would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us were put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out?

You’re right, our mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that our friends did. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.

Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean.

Because, you see, I thank God; He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.

This is the original copy of “Meanest Mother” written by Bobbie Pingaro (1967)

Can anyone relate to this? I hope so. Moms are put on this earth to accomplish the highest responsibility on earth. Is that to make lots of money and attain great status? I don’t think so. They are given the high calling to raise children. Does anyone have the perfect mom?

Probably not.

Yet this weekend is a reminder that we are to honor our mothers and obey the teachings with which we are raised.

The Bible promises that if we keep the instruction of our parents, then most likely life will go well:

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother–which is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)