Wiser With Age

Tag: wisdom

  • In My Mother’s Words: On modern technology

    In My Mother’s Words: On modern technology


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Victoria’s mom, Bélgica, in her younger years.

    Tuesday night I took the final bite out of my MacBook Pro, Conchita 2.0 (Yes, there was an original). We have been together since 2011. I bought her while I still lived in NYC. I documented my NYC adventures, my Miami adventures, my travels and the first six months of my Atlanta adventure with her. This is where the problem comes – I may or may not be able to salvage my pictures.

    This is where I’m reminded of my mother’s words:

    “El adelanto siempre trae atraso.”

              (Advancement always comes with setbacks.)

    Back in the day, we would all print our pictures. We would focus on the moment rather than posting to social media. We rely on the digital world and some thing we call a “cloud†to store all of our stuff. Don’t get me wrong, we’re all still capable of printing, but we’ve (at least I have) made this digital progression that in a sense has caused us to almost regress.

    This applies to most things that have evolved over time. Today, we’re out with the old, and in with the new. Many times the old way is the best way, yet it is discarded and forgotten. However, this is a solid lesson learned, and a reminder to not only consistently back things up, but that it’s not always necessary to stick with what’s new. Had I printed my pictures out, I wouldn’t be lamenting the loss of my beloved Conchita 2.0 as much.

    Mom – 10226.8 days of my life being right. (28 years)

    Victoria – 0

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€

  • In My Mother’s Words: Looking at the bright side

    In My Mother’s Words: Looking at the bright side


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.

    I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about this week. I have some quotes and phrases saved in an email, but for some reason none seemed to really inspire me. My mom and I were making plans for summer via Facebook (very modern) and both got really excited. It’s been an interesting week, to say the least, so I needed the extra rush. Seeing my enthusiasm made my mom happy, because she knew I had been in a funk.

    Then, she said to me:

    “Hay que ver la luz que da el fósforo y no la oscuridad que hay alrededor.” 

    (You need to focus on the light a match provides and not the darkness that surrounds it.)

    As usual, she’s right. My mom has been through dark moments in her life. She always credits that hardcore Catholic faith she has. She always manages to flip things around, and she always manages to push through. So when I find myself complaining, it’s moments and advice like this that bring me back to reality.

    It was exactly what I needed to hear. This is why she’s the best.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€

  • In My Mother’s Words: On being honest

    In My Mother’s Words: On being honest


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.

    My mother never gave us chores. I never had to take out the trash, do my laundry or clean the house. She only asked us to bring home good grades and “buen comportamiento,†(good behavior). A big part of good behavior meant always being honest. My mother, for better or worse, was always honest with us.

    I remember the times teachers would call her and want to meet with her. She’d always ask my brother, or me, what happened. She always made it clear that we better not be lying. She’ll defend us to the end, but if she finds out we lied, agáchate (duck)! She’s honest with us, our family and friends. She has always said:

    Lo qué tengo de fea, lo tengo de franca!

    (I’m as frank as I am unattractive!)

    Believe me, my mother has zero self image issues. In Spanish it sounds MUCH better. The point is, as often as we hear it, honesty is the best policy. One of the things I see most with people is their inability to be completely honest.

    No matter how hard of a truth I’ve ever had to share with my mom, she always appreciated it. Don’t get me wrong, some truths drove her to the confessional, literally. But, in the end, she always tells people she knows who her daughter is. My friends always admire how frank and candid we are with one another. I simply follow her example.

    We are best friends, and in the end, best friends don’t lie to each other.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€

  • In My Mother’s Words: On being supportive

    In My Mother’s Words: On being supportive


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.

    My mom is a pusher. She has pushed through more things than one might assume her tiny stature was capable of. Having her as my example turned me into a pusher. But, sometimes you want to push for those you love, and it doesn’t really work.

    If I care for you, I’m loyal until the end, almost to a fault. If my best friend is getting married (she is), I’m jumping for joy. If my best friend is sad, I’m sad next to her. If someone hurts my best friend, I’m livid. REALLY livid. As one of my guy besties likes to call it, “crazy girlfriend status.â€

    As I get older, I’ve learned to listen to my mom and her words more. She’s always said to me:

             No sudes calentura ajena.

    (Don’t sweat other people’s heat)

    You can’t want things for people more than they want it for themselves. In the end, you may be doing more harm than good. You can make them feel insecure, or have them shut you out (been there, done that). Instead, I’m learning to put my support out there and sit back. Anyone who is wanting to have it knows it’s there.

    Besides, as a Florida girl, who wants to be sweating all the time? Gross.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€

  • In My Mother’s Words: My (Grand)Mother’s advice on social circles

    In My Mother’s Words: My (Grand)Mother’s advice on social circles


    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.
    Bélgica (left), Maria Victoria (center), Victoria (right)

    My mother always raised me to be very headstrong and independent (shocking, I know). She always made it a point to tell us to be ourselves and to surround ourselves with friends we could learn from. It’s funny, because I think she worries more about “el elemento” (the element/type of people) I hang out with now more than she did when I was a kid. We are all influenced by our friends. We all don’t treat each friend the same or act the same around them.

    I have four main girlfriends I refer to as my “faithful four.†Each one of them brings out the best in me in a different way. What all of my friends have in common is the fact they are all positive influences. Every parent strives to have their child surrounded by the best kind of people.

    My grandmother, Maria Victoria, is about 4’8 and a total spitfire. She is 90 and doesn’t skip a beat. She won’t hesitate to threaten you with a frying pan over your head if you get out of line. She even does it to my 74-year-old uncle! She takes no prisoners. Her advice to my mom regarding her social circles was:

    Anda con tontos y tonta serás. Anda con sabios y sabía serás.

    (Surround yourself with fools and a a fool you will become. Surround yourself with wisdom and you will become wise.)

    My grandmother doesn’t know how to read or write. However, despite her lack of schooling she is astute. She surrounded herself with the right people — people she could learn from. She has passed on these pearls of wisdom to my mom who in turn has passed them onto us. The older we get, the more we realize how right our moms were…for the most part.

    In the end, my momma didn’t raise no fool…neither did hers.

    A woman with short hair wearing red necklace.Victoria Moll-Ramirez is a broadcast journalist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Miami, FL and had the great fortune of being raised by the sassiest, spunkiest, wisest, most hysterical Honduran woman in the world. Victoria’s mother, Bélgica, is 60-years-old, resides in Little Havana (Miami) and enjoys a good margarita accompanied by a heartrending ranchera. Victoria blogs about her mom’s funny and wise sayings on, “In My Mother’s Words.â€