…I am my mother after all.
Oh, how the words of our mothers used to reach in and mess with our little minds and hearts. Her wisdom and love were just what we needed to rescue us at critical times. At other times, she was just plain….how shall we say?..annoying! Sometimes, her words cut us deeply and we vowed never, ever to say those words to our own children. And it’s funny how those same words can come creeping back into our own vocabulary as mothers.
One staffer here at Smart Relationships recounts how her Cuban mother was convinced that truck drivers were all drug addicts. “Be careful!” she would warn before her daughter left with the car. “The truckers might be high on cocaine!” Teresa bit her lip with mingled amusement and irritation, managed to escape without retort, and filed that as a “do not repeat” behavior.
Today, as a mother of three, Teresa finds herself frequently admonishing her kids as they’re headed out the door, “Be careful!” In her head she hears the follow on in thick Cuban accent, “The other guys are high on cocaine!”
In contrast, my own frequently used parting words are “Have fun!” Once in while it gives me pause. Do I really want them to have unlimited fun? Maybe I should add a disclaimer there…”But don’t do anything you wouldn’t want your adoring mother to find out about!” Hmmmm… That one has possibilities!
How about you? Do you find yourself repeating your mothers words or behavior?
Tell us! Expiring minds want to know.
Related articles
- Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who’s the best mom of them all? (blogs.berkeley.edu)
- My mother in the mirror (kerrydwyer.net)
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