The reason I was caught off-guard is because I think it's obvious how much I want to be like my mom. She raised me, didn't she? And I'm freaking ah-ma-zing, right? ;) Seriously though, why wouldn't I want to be just like her? So on this, the week of my son's birthday, I would like to write that follow-up post by making a list of some of the things my mom taught me that I want to teach my son. Drumroll, please...
1. It is okay to get really, really, reeeeeeeeally messy. I will let you wash in my bathroom sink even if it is clean and put your clothes in the washer even though I have 16 other loads of laundry that need done. And we can always throw those muddy socks away and get new ones.
2. If you are doing something destructive toward yourself or others, I will be your worst nightmare. (That last part is an actual quote from my mom. At the time, I think I was scared. Come to think about it, I still am scared...)
3. On snow days, The Price is Right qualifies as educational television and bulls-eyes as a nutritious lunch.
4. Two dogs are better than one. Five dogs are better than two. And the sillier their names are, the better.
5. Your dad and I fight occasionally. It does not mean we are getting a divorce or that we don't love each other. When you are married, you will understand.
6. If you are an otherwise good kid, I will forgive a fault or two along the way. But could you at least get your smelly sports bra out from the middle of the family room?? (Hopefully I won't be saying that exact phrase to my son!)
7. "Your dad would love to buy you this" justifies any purchase.
8. If you want something done right, just do it yourself. Really.
9. I will always be your advocate when you need one, but that doesn't mean that you will never do anything wrong (even in my eyes!)
10. Don't drink from other people's water bottles. That's how oral herpes gets spread. (I don't think that was my mom's reasoning for why she didn't want us doing this, but ever since those oral pathology lectures in dental school, it will be mine!)
11. Sure, I would love to give up several hours of my evening to quiz you on questions you already know the answer to if it will make you feel like you will do better on the test. And yes, I will do this all the way through professional school if you want me to. Siiiiigh.
12. Don't question why I'm perfectly fine sending you to Europe but don't want you to go midnight bowling in Columbus. It's called "mother's intuition" and I don't have to explain it to you.
13. It's okay not to be perfect. You don't need to throw the paper where the teacher corrected you in the trash / walk down the hall with your speech therapy folder hidden inside your shirt / make me go to a parent-teacher conference because the art teacher gave you an A-. Especially that last one.
14. Being a Christian doesn't mean you can't read out of a purple Bible and coordinate your accessories accordingly.
15. I will listen to you and make you feel like you are the most interesting person in the world, even when you're not.
I feel like I could go on and on, and I'm sure that as my son grows I will remember more pearls of wisdom that my mom passed along to me during childhood. And I will start to say things like, "get your fingers out of your mouth!" and "stop bugging the dogs!" and I will truly be well on my way to becoming my mother. But you know, I think I might just be okay with that...
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| Don't we look just alike?? We DO have the same teeth, but I bet I'm the only one that noticed that... |
This is the best post ever.
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