Saturday, December 13, 2008

Being a Parent, and a Daughter

Do we ever really grow up? The last day or so really makes me wonder.

Even though I'm a mother myself and have been for nearly 5 years, as soon as I get back to my Mom's house, I seem to morph into an older version of the prickly, difficult teenager I used to be. Why is that? Is it because my Mom is ever-helpful so I let my hair down and fall into a sulk? Or is it circumstance? Maybe I was just feeling cranky because my own house is currently torn up with at least a dozen plumbers plumbing (and a partridge in a pear tree). Plus the fact that the plumbing plumbers damaged a hose in the garage which leaked all night and soaked some of our boxes of memorabilia. Suddenly, I saw a radical shift in my weekend plans. Emptying out mucky, wet boxes and confronting waaaaayyy too many photos of the teenage and college years was not on my calendar. And the photos -- the weight gain! The weight loss! The big hair! Bottles of beer as accessories that we waved around boldly in every photo! Did the bad photos from the dusty yearbooks take me right back to my teenage angst? Seeing my Freshman Fifteen on display in picture after picture definitely rattled me.

But really, there is no excuse for bad behavior. Clearly I need to change my ways. I have no desire to impersonate a moody teenager while mothering two preschoolers. And if I want to be cranky at her house, then I really can't expect to rely on my kindly Mom to help me in so many ways.

All I can say is that hubby was dang lucky to be out of town this weekend (on a "mancation" in Vegas with his college buddies). His timing was perfect. Not only did he miss the broken gas cap on the van, the invasion of the plumbers and the flood in the garage, he missed the worst development of all: my metamorphosis into an overgrown teenager. Apparently I still have some growing up to do.

2 comments:

courtney said...

I don't think we ever grow up, though I try to treat my mom the way I would treat other friends. On the other hand, my other friends would never tell me how to raise my children (if I had any) or suggest rearranging my living room, or dusting my window sills more often... However, if someone came over and did all of those obnoxious things, I think I would be nicer to them than I am to my mother, so I try to do that. It's not easy, though. You have a lifetime of history in addition to everything else. We all have a lot of growing up to do, including our mothers.

jstinmn said...

I say get a babysitter, grab your girlfriends and go see "Twighlight." Like all teenage girls you'll discover the beauty of life - love! :) Tee. Hee.