Ah, moms—the keepers of secrets, the healers of pain, the givers of advice, the authorities on all things life. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are their pearls of wisdom, remembered by their (usually grateful) daughters.

“Worry less; one day this will all make sense. And if you like a pair of pants, buy four.”
—Molly, daughter of Jill

“You have to create your own destiny. You can’t just sit around and expect things to happen for you—you’ve got to work hard at it and be in control of the narrative.”
—Rachel, daughter of Laura

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“‘Love, roots and wings. Be good. Nothing else matters.’ It essentially means do everything with love, remember where you’re from and that you are rooted in your family and will always be supported, but be courageous enough to fly, to follow your own path wherever it takes you, chase your dreams and face any challenge you encounter with grit and sass. Be good to yourself, to your family, to others. That is the essence of every lesson and piece of advice my mom has given me, from when I was a young kid to now, being a mother to a young kid of my own. Moms rock!”
—Melissa, daughter of Jennifer

“Get a bachelor’s degree in whatever you want.”
—Katherine, daughter of Trisha

“‘I never want to hear you let a man speak to you like that again!’ And, ‘It’s not the wedding that’s important, it’s the marriage.’”
—Miriam, daughter of Janet 

“Wear your seatbelt.”
—Becka, daughter of Meredith

“There is no point in crying over spilled milk. It’s spilled. Pour another glass and don’t forget to clean it up.”
—Jeannine, daughter of Neve

“‘You’ll feel better if you get up and get going!’ I hated hearing this as a kid, but as an adult, I see where she was coming from: My mom doesn’t have a lot of patience for sitting around and wallowing or feeling sorry for yourself. If you’re having a bad day, the best thing you can do is take a shower, get dressed and get moving. Don’t give in to yourself. (I probably should wear yoga pants less often, though.)”
—Kara, daughter of Connie

“Always consider the source, and everything in moderation.”
—Elisa, daughter of Brenda

“‘Treat others as you’d want to be treated!’ It’s a bit cliché—all my journalism teachers would be side-eyeing me right now—but so true, and I’ve held that advice very near to my heart my whole life.”
—Carissa, daughter of Maria

“Take yourself with you wherever you go.”
—Molly, daughter of Janice

“Follow your dreams while you’re young enough. Don’t get married until you’re in your 30s. Save for retirement as soon as you can. Don’t go to bed mad.”
—Lizz, daughter of Marilyn