In a woman’s life, she has perhaps no greater teacher than her mother. As she encounters and overcomes life’s various twists and turns, a woman may begin to realize her mother told her things that are important and sometimes even a little profound.
And now everyone can share in this maternal wisdom (if you speak Japanese) thanks to a new Twitter account called Haha no Meigen, or “My Mom’s Famous Sayings.”
Collected from the mutterings and exclamations of mothers all over the country, this account is sure to pull at your heartstrings. For your reading pleasure, here are a few samples of Japanese mothers’ homespun wisdom:
– People mirror each other. If you frown, people around you will frown too, but if you smile, they will smile back at you.
– After you get married, you only need to keep one eye on your husband, but while you are dating, you better keep both eyes WIDE open.
– Marry someone who’s at your level or better because sometimes a man’s inferiority complex is even worse than a woman’s.
– A guy who lives at his own pace or a guy who’s a little sketchy, fine, but never marry a liar. Eventually you will wonder if you can even trust his love for you, and that is truly hard.
– You are going to be seeing your own face your whole life, so whether you love it or hate it, you better take care of it!
– Making little girls look cute takes work.
– It’s fine to depend on men, just not your father.
– Unlucky year? For women, your whole life will be an unlucky year. If you think of it that way, you might be able to muddle through somehow.
– Women should smile because there’s no use in making a scary face.
– Nobody can stand hearing the woman they love say “But I love you!”
– If you want to be beautiful, don’t let your worries show on your face. A woman’s worries turn her into an ogre, you know.
– A woman who has never experienced pain or trouble is like a beautiful glass ball. The slightest tap will shatter her. Only a woman who has experienced every hardship will be like an unbreakable jewel.
– Women are beautiful because of the troubles they’ve lived through.
Oh, that one really gets to me! I’ve lived through some troubles at my age, but if I think of them as worthwhile experiences that are making me a more beautiful person, I get the strength to be positive and carry on.
Haha no Meigen is full of lots more of these maternal gems, both funny and touching. Sometimes strict and sometimes gentle, moms are always looking out for you and can teach you the important lessons about womanhood and about life.
Image: Twitter