Life

What's The Best Advice Your Mom Ever Gave You?

by Rachel Krantz

May 8, 2015

I actually think about the best advice my mom gave me all the time. I was 18, and about to go off to college. My 40-year-old schoolgirl crush — my "mentor" at an after-school program — had just asked me over to his place, where he told me he planned to cook me dinner ... and seduce me.

Amazingly, I went to my mom for advice about whether or not I should do it. To her credit, my mom didn't freak out. She simply asked me how I felt about the prospect of putting myself in that situation.

"Well, I know it might be a little beyond what I'm ready for, but I just feel like, what if I always regret being too afraid to have the experience, you know?"

My mom nodded, and took a deep breath. Then she gave me the advice I'll always remember: "It took me a long time to realize this, but sometimes the experience IS saying no."

It was just the loophole I'd needed to give myself the permission to admit I wasn't ready. I think of her advice to this day every time I find myself wondering, "Do I really want to do this right now?"

So in honor of Mother's Day, I decided to take to the streets of New York City and ask people hanging out in Union Square Park the simple question: What's the best advice your mom has ever given you?

The most popular answer? Trust your gut.