Monday afternoon, some of the people along Fourth Street shared lessons they learned from their mothers.

Pharmacist Amy McCarty said her mother still reminds her to remember what’s really important in life.

“Like your family, spending time with them,” McCarty said. “And things like not working so much.”

Kent Quarles, who operates a trash hauling business, said his mother stressed the importance of being patient. And of taking care of himself.

“She said to walk erect, to take care of your eyes, nose, feet, legs and teeth because you need them,” Quarles said.

John Lenahan of Lenahan’s Hard-ware, said his mother taught him a lot of little lessons. “I guess one of the most memorable was that above all, a person should be true to himself,” he said.

Roger Shilling of Shilling Electric, said his mother’s admonition, “Don’t burn down the chicken house,” was warranted. “When I was 7 or 8, my job was to take care of the chickens,” Shilling said. “I figured out if I eliminated the chicken house I wouldn’t have to take care of the chickens. Well, I eliminated the chicken house and the chickens.”

Phyllis Shilling, who was raised by her grandmother, had a different take. Her grandmother, she said, taught her tolerance.

“We had quite an extended family,” Shilling said. “My grandmother accepted all of them, even the people who were divorced or who weren’t blood relatives, she still accepted them.”

Steve Woolf, junior high school principal, said his mother taught her children to be involved citizens. “It’s wherever you are, making where you live a more positive place to be,” Woolf said. “She still does that.”

Randy Davis, the owner of Farmstead Treats, said his mother taught him the importance of being respectful.

“I recall it being something that was stressed in my house,” Davis said.

John Evans II, of Evans Real Estate, had a similar answer.

“As I was growing up, I spent a lot of time here in the office,” Evans said. “My mother taught me to be respectful to adults I think that’s one lesson that goes far.”

Eleanor Lenahan, a receptionist at the Richard Dean’s optometrist office, and Michelle Hardman, a waitress at Fourth Street Cafboth said their mothers often cited the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Juanita Demaranville, at True Value Hardware, said her mother taught her many lessons, but an important one was to have a good work ethic.

Next door at Bichelmeyer’s Steakhouse, Matt Bichelmeyer said his mother’s faith in her children and trust that they would be all right encouraged their independence.

“She let us camp out and do everything we wanted,” Bichelmeyer said. “She said we needed to learn to be responsible for our actions.”

Dale Dickinson, who owns a manufacturing shop near Fourth and Pleasant, said his mother encouraged him to take care of himself. More specifically “She taught me to wash clothes,” he said, “I do my own laundry.”

One contributor who asked not to be identified, said that during her teen-age years, her mother urged her to take her time in finding “Mr. Right.”

“My mother always said not to worry about getting a boyfriend she said boyfriends were just like streetcars there’s one on every corner.”

Richard Smith, accountant, said his mother taught him this bit of advice: “Always pay your taxes on time.”

As for me, I’m still amazed at the way my mother has always shared her life with others. This included times when all five or six of us kids would have friends stay overnight on the same night, to holidays, when there was usually someone with us who had no place else to go, and to today, when Mom’s grandchildren know they are always welcome at the big white house on Strawberry Hill.

And, now that we’ve shared all this motherly wisdom, perhaps Diane Flewelling, receptionist at the dental office of Grant Ritchey, said it best.

Her mother taught her many valuable lessons, she said.

“And now, after raising my own kids,” Flewelling said, “I’ve learned something else my mother was right after all.”