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By Talli St. James
Growing up in a family of six
children, what my Mom put up with, is beyond belief!
Not so much that every Mom throughout the world
doesn’t experience it all, to some extent, but that
she could withstand the call of duty, and still
convey the message that being a Mom should be an
honor and give the feeling of fulfillment,
overwhelmingly. Because that’s what I got out of her
Mothering skills and patience. Man, did she have me
fooled!
Now, after having six children of
my own, I know she was simply setting me up for the
ultimate revenge! To convince me to have six
children of my own. So I could listen to the
fighting, screaming, chasing, doors slamming,
slopped up floors, and the rolling of eyes from each
and every one of the six, showing their disgust and
irritation at my old fashioned ideas and sense of
humor. While she now watches down, from the heavens
above, rolling on the floor with laughter as I suck
down coffee to keep my sanity, and glue the hair
back on my head, after I’m done pulling it out!
Thank goodness for super glue!
When my Mom used to warn and
complain about touching the walls, as to not have to
wash finger prints off on a daily basis, who was she
trying to kid? As I now wash crayon, marker and
spaghetti off my walls, anywhere from the floor to
the ceiling, on what seems to be an hourly basis.
She’s probably delighted to see that, not only have
I learned to respect my walls, but that I now carry
a guilt trip, for ever putting her through washing
my finger prints off, when she couldn’t prove that
they were mine.
Financially, my mom was very
fortunate, not because we were a wealthy family, but
that she had the will-power to say no, and that we
knew better than to ask twice. There were no
magazines bought, no roller blades, new bikes every
year or even Doritos, unless it was with our own,
self earned, money or it was for a special occasion.
For myself today, even if I have a few bucks, I
consider myself broke, because I always have a
magazine, set of roller blades, a new bike or a bag
of Doritos to buy! As to not listen to more
fighting, screaming, chasing or to not have any more
eyes rolled my direction.
There was one thing that I did as
a child, that I knew absolutely irritated my Mom to
no end. It was to curl one side of my nose and mouth
up, and make a sound with my tongue against the roof
of my mouth, as in whatever she was saying, was just
plain ridiculous. For many years, I couldn’t
understand why it bothered her so badly, after that,
I just enjoyed having it as a tool. However, today I
have learned that during a discussion or debate with
one of my boys, that there is a certain smirk he
gets on his face, that just makes me want to cringe,
and one side of his nose and mouth go up, just as
mine did while using my irritating tool. So I know
now, my Mom is not gone. On the contrary, she is
here, somewhere cluing my children in on all
irritants I so proudly portrayed as a child myself.
To have a clean room as a kid, was
to have a good day with my Mom. To leave dirty
clothes lying on the floor, instead of walking over
to the laundry shoot and dropping them to the
basement laundry room, was the best way to sit in
your room and smell your stinky, dirty laundry for
week! Wow, was I wrong on her theory there. And the
ultimate revenge has paid off again. If I could only
find the dirty laundry in my teens’ rooms, I would
be so delighted! Entering into one them rooms, is
like entering into that old shed or cellar, where
you never know when something, that shouldn’t, is
going to move and make your skin crawl right off
your back. Where the room is so dark you can’t see
anything, and you’re actually afraid to turn the
light on! Somehow, I think my Mom is having a great
time right now.
If there was one sure way to get
out of helping make supper as a kid, it was to take
your sweet old time doing whatever it was that you
were asked to do. Personally, I could never
understand why she wanted my help because it always
tasted better when she did it herself. Well guess
what my daughter’s excuse is for not wanting to help
make meals. Sure enough, “It always tastes better
when you do it”! Is there a conspiracy going here?
I’m beginning to think so. When it takes my daughter
two and half hours to peel eight potatoes, someone’s
giving her advice!
Remembering back to when all my
children were small, and everything they did or said
was absolutely the most adorable thing I had ever
seen or heard, to be a Mom, was so enjoyable. It
still would be, if I didn’t have this thought in the
back of my head, wondering if this was a revenge
tactic for all my ill behavior in my own childhood.
There was a time when all I could think about, was
making sure my children were healthy and happy, just
as my mother had. If I could just get them through
to their teenage years with those two qualities, I
would feel successful as a Mom. When it took on the
change, of wanting that for my children, which they
all now have, and wondering if all I deal with
daily, is a revenge spell, cast upon me by my Mom, I
am not sure. But I do know one thing, if I had only
known, that her little warning about when I become a
parent, I would learn, see and understand her
thoughts, I would have chosen to behave a little
differently.
As for giving the warning to my
own children, I ain’t even gonna bother!
About the Author, Talli St.
James - Mother, writer and lover of life!(not
necessarily in that order) Having recently entered
into the world of getting my work published, I love
writing more every day! talli_stjames@hotmail.com
http://tallistjames.homestead/tallistjames.html |
