6 Life Lessons I Learned from My Mom (That Still Guide Me Today)

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I keep finding myself thinking about my mom.

Her name was Helen K. Cawley, and she was, quite simply, one of the most remarkable people I've ever known. Born in 1917, she lived through the Great Depression, raised my older sisters as a single mother during World War II, traveled the world, and made it all the way to 2016, just one month shy of her 99th birthday, with grace, grit, and a sense of purpose that never quit.

She stopped going to school at age 14. Her wisdom didn't come from textbooks. It came from a life that was full, hard, joyful, and richly lived. And so many of the lessons she taught me still show up in my work and my life every single day.

Here are six of my favorites.

1. Always Know Where the Exit Is

This one might sound a little dramatic, but for Helen, it was just common sense. She grew up in the shadow of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and safety wasn't something she took lightly. Whether we were on a plane, in a theater, or wandering through a shopping mall, she'd lean over and quietly ask, "Which way will we go if something happened?"

At the time,   I'd roll my eyes a little. Now I do plan automatically. It taught me that peace of mind almost always comes from having a plan, and that being prepared isn't fearful. It's smart.

2. Make a Routine and Stick With It

My mom was a full-time working mother, and structure was her secret weapon. Sunday was laundry day. Bills were paid on the first and the fifteenth. Dinner was on the table at the same time every evening, without fail.

And you know what? It worked. Routines made life manageable and predictable in a world that often was neither. I've carried this lesson straight into my work as a professional organizer. Routines are what keep the chaos from winning.

3. Waste Not, Want Not

Food waste was simply not a thing in Helen's kitchen. She had a dedicated "leftover shelf" in the refrigerator, and she had a gift for turning last night's dinner into something delicious by lunchtime the next day.

But it was about more than thrift. It was about gratitude. She believed in using what you had, appreciating it, and making it last. Whether it was food, fabric, or furniture, she always found a use for things that others might have tossed without a second thought.

4. If You Take It Out, Put It Back

Everything in our home had a place, and everything went back to its place. The scissors, the tape, the aspirin. Always exactly where they should be.

This one simple rule kept daily life running smoothly and eliminated the endless scavenger hunts that drive so many of my clients absolutely crazy. When you know exactly where the tape lives, life is genuinely better. Helen lived this long before "a place for everything" became an organizing catchphrase.

5. Make Memories, Not Just Money

My mom was incredibly frugal and a surprisingly savvy investor. But she also knew, deeply and instinctively, what actually mattered. She loved planning special experiences, sponsoring family trips, and creating moments we'd all carry with us long after the occasion was over.

She showed me that joy doesn't live in stuff. It lives in shared moments. It's a lesson I think about constantly, both in my own life and in the work I do, helping people let go of things that were never really bringing them happiness in the first place.

6. Buy Well, Buy Once

Helen believed in quality over quantity long before anyone was putting that phrase on throw pillows. She bought well-made shoes, coats, and handbags, and then she took care of them. Those items lasted for years, or even decades.

I've carried this philosophy into my own life, from kitchen tools to bed linens, and it's something I share with my clients regularly. Buying less but buying better is one of the most practical and sustainable habits you can build.

This Mother's Day, I'm celebrating the lasting impact of a strong, wise, amazing woman who shaped me in more ways than I can ever count. She was shy and would have been mortified (but secretly delighted) to be featured in the 5th iteration of this blog post.

I'd love to know: what life lessons did your mom or grandmother pass down to you? Come share them with us over in the Organizing Solutions for Busy Women Facebook group. Let's honor the women who made us who we are.