Most adults have had that moment when they suddenly say something that as a kid, they swore they would never say. This is usually something their parents would commonly say that was probably a little annoying as child, right? As adults we realize the wisdom of those words (or a psychologist might say we are reverting back to our subconscious teachings of how to handle specific situations but whatever…the words come out).
I can think of several sayings my mom had that I’ve caught myself saying or at least almost saying in recent years. I bet that if my “kids” were the human two-legged variety instead of the furrbaby four-legged variety, I would be spouting a lot more of childhood sayings and clichés.
Some of my favorites from back then include:
- I was about to call out the National Guard!-I would hear this when I was gone for a long time or longer than expected. I think it was mom’s way of saying “I was worried about you and am glad to see you.” When I was really young, I used to think she was literally going to call the National Guard and I would be in big trouble. As I got older, I just saw it as something silly but fun that she would say to indicate I’d been gone a long time.
- Accept the things you can’t change, Change the things you can-this is a shortened variation of the Serenity Prayer, which she taught me at an early age. I first learned the commonly known first part and as an adult, I learned the full prayer. It was her way of teaching me to accept my disability and to focus on doing what I could do, not on what I could not do. This is a valuable lesson for anyone, but it almost feels more important as an adult.
- Alright, talk to you later, love you, bye-technically this is something I would say, but as a kid I learned to always leave a conversation letting the other person know you love them. This phrase (you have to say it fast and all together for the best effect) is how my parents and I have ended our conversations for years.
What are some of the phrases you heard a lot as a kid? Share in the comments below!