A “mom-ism” is defined as any pearl of wisdom, life advice, or pro tips given to you by a mother figure, and each mother brings different ones to the table. In honor of the anniversary of my mom’s birth, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite gems from her. The collection I have of are a healthy mix of things she learned from her mother, things she learned through life, and probably things she learned from ancient proverbs.

1. “If everyone else in the world has a problem, maybe you’re the one with the problem.” - Mom on being whiny

2. “When you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, put the peanut butter on both pieces of bread and jelly in the middle so it doesn’t get soggy.” - Mom on making a PB&J

3. “The zombies aren’t evil, they’re just trying to survive. It’s the people who are the scariest part, they’ll just turn on each other constantly for their own benefit.” -Mom on “The Walking Dead”

4. “You’re not sweet enough to melt.” -Mom not putting up with complaints about rain

5. “What do you want me to do? Spit on you?” -Mom not putting up with complaints about thirst

6. “Lost is a state of mind. You aren’t lost until you feel lost.” -Mom when we were super lost but she didn’t want anyone freaking out