Friday

A page for readers to share their views, thoughts and stories.

The most valuable lesson I learnt from my mother was the power of prayers. Life will be full of countless seemingly insurmount­able challenges. However, through prayer I can never be alone. Sharon Bhorkar

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Whatever a mom says is golden advice. But the best advice my mom gave me and my brothers was, “Even if you become a prime minister you should know how to cook”. Thanks to that, my brothers and I never faced any problems even during our hostel days because we could cook. Learning basic cooking makes you value the effort required to prepare a dish.

Pinal Negi

Stay calm and...

The nuggets of wisdom I received from my mother are: that I must learn to be what I am; give my best effort to be so; remain humble, calm and reposeful in my achievemen­ts, cherish them in gratitude and to remain joyful and positive and keep myself connected to my cultural heritage and roots. Dr Richa Walia

Power of prayer HONEST TRUTH

The best piece of advice my mother gave me is to be honest. She was a teacher-cum-priest’s wife and she never lied, even if she had to lose something because of it. Jebaseeli Asir

Being true to yourself Never give up

Giving up is something mum would never accept and she would tell me, “There’s always a way out.” There is a solution to every problem, you have just got to find it. How? By having faith. She would urge me to have faith in myself, my abilities and the Almighty. It is our faith that sustains us during difficult times.

Priya Ramchandra­n

The best piece of advice? To be myself in a world where everyone is trying to be someone else. To be the person I truly am and never try to please another. She would always tell me to be confident and strong, to not fake anything and always believe in myself and never try to change. Avani

The cycle of life

My bright blue bicycle lay woebegone on its very first outing. I had crashed into another vehicle and the spokes lay broken. But mum viewed it differentl­y: ‘Accidents will keep happening in life, it will not be a smooth ride, but you must never let it deter you or stop you! Fix it and move on for such is the cycle of life.” These priceless words form the best piece of advice my mother ever gave me. Vijaya Sukumar

DO UNTO OTHERS...

To look at a situation from another’s shoes; to not behave the same way as another if the behaviour is insensitiv­e because then there is no difference between you and them; and to compromise and be forgiving but not to the extent of letting another push you down. These are the best pieces of advice my mother gave me. Nitha Jayakumar

All are equal

The best advice I remember from my mother is to be passionate, lovable and always help the needy and treat everyone equally. She taught us to share whatever we have with those in need. Eappen Elias

Friends forever

Always have good friends in life who are always there for you and stand by you no matter what. That was the best piece of advice my mother gave me. They are those who always motivate and inspire you. True friends are truly one of life’s greatest treasures. Aditya Praveen

Staying kind

The most valuable advice my mom has given me is to never give up on being kind and humane. No matter how unfair, cruel or discouragi­ng the world becomes, her advice to me was to always be kind. That faith in kindness has helped me overcome many hurdles. Rajini Sachin

PERFECT ADVICE

“Perfection is needed for everything.” Sometimes, I find this really hard to do. I am the kind of teenager who never completes anything 100 per cent. My mom on the other hand expects the opposite. She always inspires me and helps me improve in all aspects of my life. I am really blessed to have her. Leah Alex

Do it well

Whatever you do, you should do it well. A simple yet powerful maxim that can apply across all aspects of our life be it study, play, career, work, marriage or parenthood.These golden words have stayed with me through my life, stood me in good stead and continue to do so, thanks to my mum. Jaya Mahalingam

Tell us: what is the one modern device you cannot live without, and why?

Email your replies to friday@gulfnews.com, or comment on facebook.com/FridayMaga­zine. Please limit the word count to 50 words. Answers may be edited for clarity and/or length.

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