One word. That’s all it took to launch me into a week-long tizzy. It began one night during dinner. The girls and I were talking – I don’t remember the topic. But I do recall feeling a bit exasperated. And that’s when I blurted out just one little word.
“Well!”
The tone of my voice surprised me. Where did that raspy drawl come from? Suddenly, the room became silent. I folded my arms.
“What?”
Emily burst out laughing. “That sounded just like Grandma!”
Me? Like Grandma? No way. My mom and I were very different. But I just couldn’t shake the idea. Could it be? Was it true? Maybe I was turning into my mom!
The next day I watched for clues. And I discovered something mildly disturbing. Sometimes, without warning, Mom’s words came leaping out of my mouth.
“You might want to take a jacket. After all, better safe than sorry.”
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
“The more you practice, the better you’ll get.”
“Well!”
The tone of my voice surprised me. Where did that raspy drawl come from? Suddenly, the room became silent. I folded my arms.
“What?”
Emily burst out laughing. “That sounded just like Grandma!”
Me? Like Grandma? No way. My mom and I were very different. But I just couldn’t shake the idea. Could it be? Was it true? Maybe I was turning into my mom!
The next day I watched for clues. And I discovered something mildly disturbing. Sometimes, without warning, Mom’s words came leaping out of my mouth.
“You might want to take a jacket. After all, better safe than sorry.”
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
“The more you practice, the better you’ll get.”
I tried not to panic. After all, lots of moms say that stuff. A few old clichés didn’t prove a thing. But a couple of days later, I found some undeniable evidence.
Exhibit A: My bag full of bags ...
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Don't tell anyone, but I keep all my grocery bags - just like Mom used to do. Hey, they come in handy. You never know when you'll need a plastic bag. Besides, why spend money on trash bags when you don't have to?
Exhibit B: My Confiscated Condiments ...
Okay fine, I'll admit it. I just can't throw those things away. I have a refrigerator drawer full of them. They work great for packing in kids' lunches. They also come in handy when I don't feel like running to the store.
Exhibit C: Containers Galore ...
Yep. I save those too.
But one thing about Mom, she's always been a good one. Even through my teen years, I could tell her anything. And no matter what I attempted - from singing solos to writing stories - she always encouraged me. She's my best friend (after Curt, of course) and I truly hope to have the same kind of relationship with my grown daughters someday.
So now that I think about it, becoming like Mom ...
“Well!”
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all.
“Well!”
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all.
