"Never turn up to someone’s house empty-handed. Always bring a little something, even if it’s just flowers picked from your garden."
- Jackie, 46, Katherine, NT
"When my husband proposed, my mother said, 'Elope. I’ll give you $10,000 if you do.' Her friend’s daughters had outrageously expensive weddings and she thought giving us $10,000 would be cheaper and save us all the planning. We didn’t listen but I wish we had. We could have taken a fabulous honeymoon with that money. We’re about to celebrate our 20th anniversary and we’ve still never been on our honeymoon!"
- Donna, 53, Batemans Bay,NSW
"Be kind to everyone you encounter. Give people the benefit of the doubt most of the time, unless their eyes are too close together!"
- Meg, 38, Coffs Harbour, NSW
"I sometimes struggled in school and my mum always told me, “Grades are fleeting, one day they won’t matter at all. It’s much more important to have a kind and loving heart. That’s worth more than all the good grades on earth.” I miss her so much!"
- Ellen, 45, Capalaba, Qld
"My mother always said, 'If you need something, go get it yourself. If you want something done, go do it yourself.' Those words stuck and helped me become a strong, independent woman."
- Julie, 46, Wangaratta, Vic
"My dad gave me much better advice. Usually it was, 'Don’t tell your mum!'"
- Lisa, 31, Redcliffe, Qld
"My mother was a raunchy redhead (although not a natural one). Whenever she dyed her hair at home, she would tell me, 'Mix a double batch and have a snatch to match!'"
- Alison, 55, Balgowan, SA
"My mum used to say, 'If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?' I heard those words so often growing up that they became ingrained in my psyche. They gave me the confidence to be a leader rather than a follower."
- Elsa, 70, South Yarra, Vic
