Motherhood as Defined by Genetics

I can’t really adequately describe how amazing my Mother’s Day weekend was.

Saturday was a day brought on by the great Flying Spaghetti Monster himself, gorgeous in every way, and perfect from start to finish.  I had an 8:00 Bootcamp to makeup for a missed one last week, and the weather was so gorgeous and we worked SO HARD that it just promised a great day ahead.  It didn’t disappoint; I literally came home to find breakfast had already been made and cleaned up, the boys were dressed, and I promptly told everything with a wee-wee to get outside and stay there.  And although I myself am wee-wee-less, I followed suit.

I had picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins last week and figured it’d be like every other book I pick up; I’d read three or four chapters and then decide that some housework deserved my priority.  NOT SO.  I read about eighty pages on Friday night, and didn’t put it down until I was finished on Saturday afternoon.  Amazing book, and I can’t wait to get the others.  I highly recommend it.  I spent the better part of the day outside.. and my farmer tan/burn shows it.. and then we had Bandito Burrito (FISH TACOS!) and then we all went to bed.  PERFECT DAY.

Sunday brought the actual holiday, and we all had a huge lunch at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse here in town.  As I got ready for the event, it made me think how motherhood has not only taught me many things, but also confirmed what my mother had been trying to teach me for all of these years.

1. We need loving most when we are most unlovable. Dude.  DUUUUUDE.  My mother has said this for umpteen million years, and I really just never GOT it until I had a child under my roof.  A two year old tantrum is when this comes in most effective.  Because the tantrum is based on confusion, and overwhelming emotion, and a bazillion other things that are just flying around that poor child’s head.  Mostly, they just need to be refocused.  And mostly, I do that through love.  Even though I often want to leave them on the curb.
2. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything. Man, is this true once you get a parrot in the house.  Where you thought you were just making a snarky comment?  Oh, suddenly, the two year old has it down cold.. inflection and everything .. and is suddenly on replay.  ALL.THE.TIME.  So it’s best to keep those under-your-breath comments WAY under your breath.. like in the back of your throat.
3. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. (What can I say?  We’re Italian.) Sure, we appreciate all of the teachers at school.  And we’re kind to all of them, because teaching is a task I doubt many people grasp the full magnitude of. (I’ve always known VERY talented teachers and know that they work close to 16 hours a day, despite the “official” school hours being much shorter.) But if there’s a teacher we think is NOT being fair to our kid?  We sidle up to them.  Get on their good side.  Work WAY harder to befriend them.  Because we need that “in”.  It’s the easiest way to spot their jugular.
4. You’re an empath, Sarah. My mom spotted this way early, but I denied it for a LONG time.  And, of course, my child got that gene too.  I tend to shoulder the emotional burdens of others, even if I don’t want to or know that it’s exactly what I’m doing.  If a friend of mine is having a marital issue, Bryan has to be EXTREMELY patient with me until it’s resolved.  If someone I work with is expecting a baby, dude, I get baby fever.  My child is the same way, ESPECIALLY if it’s my emotions he’s picking up.  I have to be incredibly mindful of this.. even if I have a happy face on, he can sense what I’m trying to mask.

I’m sure we all have things that our mother always told us that didn’t click until we birthed a heathen.  What’s yours?