Lessons Learned from Downton: Season 3, Episode 2

As I've mentioned before Downton Abbey* is my absolute favorite television show.**

It is dramatic and beautiful and proper and elegant and it has wonderful clothes and handsome men.

But, also it has much wisdom to share with us all. So here's the first of what I hope to be a semi-regular post: Lessons Learned from Downton. (These are both serious and silly, but contain no spoilers. Hurrah!)

Kitchen maid: I should never have thought I'd feel sorry for an earl's daughter.
House maid: All God's creatures have their sorrows.
I've been realizing this one over and over lately.  You may think you got problems, but sister you're not the only one.  The good thing is, once you've come to terms with this statement, you can stop wallowing in your issues and start helping someone else with theirs.

Lady Grantham: You are being tested.  And you know what they say my darling. Being tested only makes you stronger.
True dat, your ladyship.  A year or two back when I had lost a whole bunch of weight, but not yet made it to my goal of 100 pounds lost, I was bothered but knew that my continued persistence would only serve to teach me better how to survive.  Now that I've gained all of that substantial weight loss back, I'm not sure exactly what the lesson to be learned is, but I definitely know I'm learning one.

Dowager Countess of Grantham: Sybill, vulgarity is no substitute for wit.
I'm not 100% sure about this one, because poop jokes are pretty funny, but Cousin Violet was actually referring to sex jokes and I agree with her on that one.

Earl of Grantham: I doubt we'll need more than eight servants tops, so it will be very economical.
If you're worried about your finances, tighten your belt and limit yourself to eight servants.  Tough times call for drastic measures.

*If you want to sound like a rube, pronounce it DownTOWN Abbey. If you want to sound like a member of the British landed gentry, pronounce it properly: Downton Abbey (ton, not town). This has been your weekly Public Service Announcement, sponsored by Jill Stuckey.
**Let's get one thing straight.  I caught the Downton bug way before you and the rest of America.