This Sunday is Mother's Day. It's a time for us to celebrate our mom's and thank them for everything they ever did for us, and I was lucky to have one of the most wonderful mom's ever. The fact that she managed not to kill the teenage me is one of her greatest accomplishments! In fact, every once in awhile, when my boys are acting just like I did at that age, I will call her and apologize for all the evil things I did at that age. I also beg her to remove The Curse. What is The Curse? You know it.....I hope when you have children, you have one JUST LIKE YOU!
These are perhaps the most dangerous words ever uttered by a parent. Oh, when we are young and believe that we can do no wrong, we laugh this off. We think that if we have a child just like us, they will be blessed with only our best qualities. We are certain that our mother is completely crazy in thinking that there could possibly be anything wrong with having a child just like us. Well, I'm here to tell you that having a child just like you isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
As you all know, I have three teenage sons. Coming from a very female oriented family, having all boys came as a great shock to my system. Instead of being happy playing quietly with Barbies, boys are loud! They prefer breaking things to just about any other pass time. My boys don't just yell at each other when they have a disagreement; they prefer the "beat him to a bloody pulp" option. Eventually, I got used to it, and decided that I was handling everything perfectly. I knew exactly what I was doing! And then, when they began to reach the teenage years, the curse began to kick in!
Now, even though we want to believe it, none of us were perfect as kids, and the teenage years are a minefield for everyone. Puberty turns all of us into miserable little beasts! Those wonderful little children who loved us more than anyone else, who thought that we could do no wrong, suddenly hate us! They begin to believe that we are dumber than dirt, and, male or female, they quickly perfect the eye roll! But, they don't stay evil! Sometimes, they revert back to the sweet little children we used to know. But don't be sucked in! This is one of their tricks, used to throw us off balance. Usually, this ploy is used when they want something. If you are feeling generous, that sweet lovable kid will stay until they have what they want. Within minutes of receiving whatever it might be, they will change back! And if you don't give in to them, just be ready to hear "I hate you!" and the sound of a door being slammed so hard, the windows rattle!
I hate to admit it, and I swear that my mother exaggerates, but I really had drama queen tendencies from a very early age. These tendencies really grew during my teen years. Everything was either the best thing in the history of the world, or the worst, and I was the only person who had ever gone through anything like this. I knew that there was no way my parents could understand what I was going through, because they were old, and had probably emerged from the sea, fully grown, like a Greek god. And then, I had teenagers! They tell me constantly that I have no idea what it's like to be a teenager, and that I could never understand the things they are going through. This is the curse, rearing its ugly head again!
I keep begging my mother to remove the curse, but she just smiles and tells me that once it's cast, that's it. There is no removing the curse, and whether your mother actually utters the words or not, you will be under its spell. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it! You just have to learn to live with it, and pray that both you and your child come through to the other side, relatively unscathed by the experience. Every once in awhile, I see a glimpse of the adults my children will grow into, and I know that there is still hope. They really did learn some of the values that I have tried to instill in them. For the most part, they are kind to others, and they are well liked. I think I've done a pretty good job, despite the curse.
And what would I like to have for Mother's Day this year? Peace and quiet! I want everyone to get along, without trying to kill one another. I want my boys to remember to wish me a Happy Mother's Day without having to remind them that it is Mother's Day. I would really like it if Dale and the boys did the cooking that day, but that may be too much to ask! I would also like to have control of the remote for the day, and not see a sporting event of any kind, but again, that may be too much to ask for, also! And I pray that every mom out there knows that she really is loved and appreciated by her children, whether they show it very often or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment