Ode to Mummy

My Mom and I have a strange relationship.  I did not realize this until my boyfriend, now husband, told me once, "I can't believe how you and your Mom talk to each other.  I mean, you say ANYTHING!"  He was mortified; I thought it was normal.

We had a fairly typical mother/daughter relationship during my childhood.  She was the queen bee, she could control my behavior with "the eye", she never tolerated disrespect, she was the first one I ran to when I was hurting, she preached that all boys had cooties, she was more concerned about being my mother than being my friend, she monitored my make-up, she intervened when I tried to stuff my bra with cotton balls....you know....the usual mom stuff.

The big switch happened, however, once I was an adult.  She became much more fun.  We'd go dancing, shopping, road tripping and churching...and never once did I get "the eye."  She went from parent to friend, and I've never had such a blast.

When I became a mommy, I needed her like never before.  I couldn't function unless she was in the next room.  I couldn't even give my baby a bath without going into a panic. I fell apart, and she put me back together and became my biggest cheerleader. 

Now, as I'm settling into motherhood and she is living in the fun and freedom of  grannyhood, I have to laugh at the irony of the latest transition.  I told her today to watch her mouth.  I take her with me to the grocery store because I think she eats out too much.  I stay at home with my kiddo while she traipses off to Florida, Hawaii and Europe.  Total role reversal.

The one thing that has stayed constant is that we still say anything to each other.  While I was looking at a ring in the jewelry department today, she very seriously informed the saleslady that I needed to buy a ring because I was pregnant and no one would marry me.

Not so typical, but one hell of an amazing Mom.