Why is it that there are days that I can't shake the
feeling that my mother has possessed my body. I catch
myself telling things to my kids that I would hear
from my mother as a child and for fleeting moments
ponder their importance. Such phrases as, "Because
I said so," or "Go ask your dad" or my personal
favorite, "Shut the door, you weren't born in a barn".
As Mother's Day approaches, I find myself wondering more
and more why giving birth automatically changes one's attitude
toward life. Yes, raising a child is a significant responsibility,
but you wouldn't think that some of life's smallest details
would become the major issues and grounds for war once your
maternal instincts kicked in.
Take for example underwear. As a teen I would have found it
quite amusing if one of my friends had announced to me that
she had refused to wear her underwear that morning.
Ooohh, no underwear, that's living on the edge.
But as a mother, I'm having a bit more difficulty finding
this sort of behavior in my two year old exciting. Why
does it bother me? I don't know. It's not like anyone
else knows she's not wearing underpants, much less like they
care. Yet, it's one thing that causes me grief every
morning when I get her dressed.
Or what about my other daughter's inability to color coordinate
her outfits. So polkadots and stripes don't match. Will this
minor detail lead to her to a life of crime? Will she be calling
me from jail at sixteen saying, "I just wish you would've ripped
those stripes and polkadots off of me when I was six!" I doubt it.
But for some reason it's all I can do to keep my mouth shut and
let her chose her own outfit. I've read all of the parenting
articles about power struggles and choosing your battles. So
I'm prepared to let this one slide. This time.
I'm slowly beginning to understand those certain phrases that
my mother always told me. I'm learning the importance of going
to bed early and sitting at least four feet away from the T.V.
while watching it. I realize that "Because I said so" is one
of the best reasons for doing something and that running around
outside without shoes does have its consequences.
What's funny is now my mom tells me how she wishes she would have
relaxed more when I was young and not worried so much about the
little things.
"Oh, how I wished I would've lightened up a long time ago," she often
tells me.
Now I know why my kids are asking if they can live with Grandma.
"That's fine with me," I tell them. "But first go ask your dad."
About the Author:
Shannon is webmaster to a website that offers Premade Scrapbook Pages that tell interesting facts about the day a person was born or married. Visit her at www.scrapits.com
