Porch Lessons That Still Stick: Looking Back at Ms. Mabel's First Pieces of Advice

When we first introduced Ms. Mabel to Stay Positive News readers, we knew she had a way with words.

What we didn't know was just how many people would begin looking forward to sitting on her metaphorical front porch each month.

Her first two letters tackled very different questions. One reader wrote in about a disagreement over making the bed. Another wanted to know how to survive political disagreements with a sibling.

Different stories.

Same timeless lesson.

As we've reflected on those first columns, we've realized Ms. Mabel wasn't really talking about chores or politics at all. She was talking about relationships.

In her very first column, she shared one of the most memorable stories we've published—a heated argument between her father and older brother while working cattle on the family farm. Both men believed they were right. Both were frustrated. Neither was listening.

The lesson came from her mother, who quietly asked the question that has become one of our favorite Ms. Mabel quotes:

"What's more important... doing right or being right?"

That simple question has a way of following you long after you've finished reading.

Ms. Mabel reminded the husband who wrote to her that arguments between people who love each other are rarely one-sided.

"You did a lazy job of making the bed," she teased.

"But darlin', if you're reading this," she told his wife, "you can't micromanage another grown adult's tasks... You'll be much more at peace with a 'do you' attitude in regards to things outside of your control."

Her advice wasn't about perfectly tucked sheets.

It was about grace.

Then came another letter from a reader struggling with political disagreements inside the family.

Instead of taking sides, Ms. Mabel did what only she can do.

She reminded us what matters most.

"Most of the time it's better to be kind than to be right—that's my hill worth dying on."

She challenged readers with another question that has lingered with us ever since:

"If he died tomorrow, would his political opinions still matter?"

It's a sobering thought, but a powerful one.

Her point wasn't that opinions don't matter.

It was that people matter more.

Throughout those first two columns, a common thread emerged. Ms. Mabel consistently encouraged us to choose relationships over pride, listening over winning, and love over proving a point.

She even said it best herself:

"Folks are just arguing way too much nowadays and ain't a single one of you actually listening."

That line feels just as relevant today as the day she wrote it.

In a world that often rewards whoever talks the loudest, Ms. Mabel reminds us that wisdom usually speaks a little softer.

As the Stay Positive News team has looked back through these early columns, we've realized that while readers send Ms. Mabel all sorts of questions—about marriage, family, friendships, neighbors, and everyday frustrations—her answers almost always point back to the same truth.

Kindness isn't weakness.

Humility isn't losing.

And sometimes the greatest victory is simply deciding that the person sitting across from you is more valuable than winning the argument.

We'll leave you with one last reminder from our favorite front porch philosopher:

"The good news is, the only remedy needed is an apology from both of you."

Whether the disagreement is over making a bed, working cattle, politics, or something entirely different, that's still pretty good advice.

We can't wait to see what lesson Ms. Mabel teaches us next.

Click here to submit your questions to Ms. Mabel.