Admitting That Your Mother Was Right
How many times did you just hate your Mother because she wouldn’t let you do something you really wanted to do? Something you had been counting on doing? I can remember any number of things my Mother and I disagreed on. I now know from my own experience as a Mother how hard it is to say NO when it is met with such unhappiness.
When I was in the 6th grade I was in a very unique private French class that met at 7 AM every school day. The students ranged in age from 10 to 16 and we had a very petite soft-spoken Belgian teacher, who had been a part of the Resistance movement during WW II. That same year someone organized a weekly class in square-dancing that met on a week night. When I wanted to sign up, my Mother said it was just more than I ought to be doing, given the time I had to get up each day to go to French class. I despised her for not letting me take the square-dancing class because the very coolest kids were square-dancing and not taking French, but I later came to realize that maybe she knew something that I even now have a hard time learning about over-scheduling.
Today was just one more example of my stubbornness to do things my way. I was supposed to see a friend at 10 today. It’s her birthday tomorrow, so I had planned a simple little celebration over tea, replete with homemade presents, a hand-made card, and a tiny candle-lit birthday cake. Well, as luck would have it, we woke up to at least 8 inches of snow. In my typical fashion, I got up early, cleaned off my car, and put on my boots. As I was getting ready to leave, she called to tell me not to come. I have learned that this is a friend you don’t argue with. I whined and pleaded and actually felt angry towards her, but the answer was NO. You see, she has this way of knowing what is really best for me when I can’t get beyond my own stubbornness. So as I sit here typing away, watching my neighbor shovel his driveway, I realize that it’s a good thing someone is still looking out for my welfare, since my Mother is no longer around to give me advice.
I am grateful for a day of REST and for a friend who could look beyond her own birthday celebration and tell me to just stay home and take it easy. It’s still hard to admit that someone else is right when it totally upsets your plans...
Did you ever come to realize that your Mother was actually right about something?
When I was in the 6th grade I was in a very unique private French class that met at 7 AM every school day. The students ranged in age from 10 to 16 and we had a very petite soft-spoken Belgian teacher, who had been a part of the Resistance movement during WW II. That same year someone organized a weekly class in square-dancing that met on a week night. When I wanted to sign up, my Mother said it was just more than I ought to be doing, given the time I had to get up each day to go to French class. I despised her for not letting me take the square-dancing class because the very coolest kids were square-dancing and not taking French, but I later came to realize that maybe she knew something that I even now have a hard time learning about over-scheduling.
Today was just one more example of my stubbornness to do things my way. I was supposed to see a friend at 10 today. It’s her birthday tomorrow, so I had planned a simple little celebration over tea, replete with homemade presents, a hand-made card, and a tiny candle-lit birthday cake. Well, as luck would have it, we woke up to at least 8 inches of snow. In my typical fashion, I got up early, cleaned off my car, and put on my boots. As I was getting ready to leave, she called to tell me not to come. I have learned that this is a friend you don’t argue with. I whined and pleaded and actually felt angry towards her, but the answer was NO. You see, she has this way of knowing what is really best for me when I can’t get beyond my own stubbornness. So as I sit here typing away, watching my neighbor shovel his driveway, I realize that it’s a good thing someone is still looking out for my welfare, since my Mother is no longer around to give me advice.
I am grateful for a day of REST and for a friend who could look beyond her own birthday celebration and tell me to just stay home and take it easy. It’s still hard to admit that someone else is right when it totally upsets your plans...
Did you ever come to realize that your Mother was actually right about something?
posted by Barbara at 10:56 AM
6 Comments:
Not that I'd want to admit.
My mother seemed to have ulterior motives in a lot of what she wanted us to do and not do. And I have been thinking recently that I'm too old to behave the way that I do - it's time to settle down and all that crap. And I look at my brothers and realize they are sort of in the same boat - even if one of my brothers is married.
And I recently read something about some guy whose mother protected him way too much, and he got a late start to the partying and just can't get it out of his system. In many ways, that's me. So, I'm not sure that my mother was right to be so overprotective.
My mom? She's completely crazy but she loves us dearly. I believe that some of the craziness comes from motherly instinct on hyperdrive and across great distance. Whatever it is, she's my mom. The only one I've got and I love 'er.
I wish my mother was still around to give me guidance. It drove me crazy while she was here, but with the hindsight of loss, I'd take the criticisms any day rather than the alternative.
When she told me to lose weight, during my early 20s. I'm still not sure if it was the most helpful thing to do, and I know she had motives beyond just wanting the best for me, but right or not she spoke the truth.
Who cares about you mother? What I love is when you listen to your friends ... like me for instance!! Sweet post, sistah.
I am still waiting to hear someone admit that to me. But I am delighted to have admitted it to my Mother many times before she died.
:-))
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