Mothers and their kids belong to a separate category. No other bond in the world is as strong as theirs. No other love is as immediate and forgiving. Gail Tsukiyama said.
Mother and daughter relationships are complex, marked by both enduring love and fleeting disdain.
We transition from honoring our mothers and never leaving their side to questioning their very existence and resenting their counsel and admonitions. After missing them for a while, we start to comprehend and empathize with them, and eventually we start to revere them once more, yearning for their insight and experience.
Many people told me as a child that I would despise my mother throughout my adolescence and that I would eventually come to despise her very existence.
That day did come, and it lasted for a few trying years until college, when missing her caused stifled emotions as well as a newfound respect and admiration for someone I had previously wished to escape from.
I finally realized why she kept reminding me to tie my shoes and bring an umbrella. When she questioned me about my homework and made me participate in all those pointless summer camp activities, I finally understood her reasoning.
I realized that she loved me, which is why she never permitted me to have boys in my room or go on trips to Punta Cana with my friends.
We cling to anyone who is even a little bit kind as we leave the nest, believing with joy that we are moving on to better things, realizing how rare and wonderful a mother’s love is.
There aren’t many people out there who will accept you, flaws and all, and unconditionally love you. There is nothing out there that can offer that kind of unwavering, uncritical love.
I’ve learned that people in this world are not always trustworthy through failed romantic and platonic relationships. No matter how close the relationship, friends come and go. Men don’t really love you the way they say they do, and nobody can really keep a secret.
Although friendships are wonderful and important, your mother will always be the only stable and reliable source of love you will ever have. Only she will be available to answer your call in the middle of the night. She is the only person who genuinely wants to know about every detail of your day.
She will choose restaurants while taking into account the fact that you dislike sushi. She is the only person who pays attention to what you have to say and is okay with spending four hours watching you try on jeans.
In addition, I was told that I would one day be close friends with my mother while I was in my days of disdain and misguided rage. One day, just like the mother-daughter scenes in all of Diane Keaton’s movies, we would share beverages and stories.
They were mistaken, I told them, and our relationship wasn’t like what they had read in children’s books.
Age, however, brought wisdom, and wisdom, appreciation. This feeling of gratitude developed into respect, which then grew into friendship. I came to understand a crucial truth in my life as the years went by and those solid friendships that I had believed would uphold some sort of familial archetype started to fall apart: My mother has always been, and always will be, my best friend.
When you have good news, she is the first person you call.
When you have bad news, she is the first person you call.
You can only actually conduct business with her when shopping.
Regardless of your distance from her, she will always travel to see you.
She will always remember your birthday, and she will sing to you first when the clock strikes midnight.
When something about you doesn’t look good, she will be honest about it.
She’ll let you know when you’re acting like a brat.
Your dramatic tales and endless tales will be heard by her.
If you wear the same outfit three days in a row, she won’t criticize you.
She always has sound advice, even if it doesn’t match your preferences.
She always has your best interests in mind.
You are the most significant person in her life, so she would never take advantage of you for a man.
Even though you incur overage fees on a monthly basis, she pays your cell phone bill.
She is aware of your preferences in terms of food.
She won’t harbor resentment toward you or keep a grudge.
She will buy you something on the spur of the moment if she thinks you’ll like it.
No matter your weight, she will compliment you and let you know if you’re getting fat or not.
She won’t mind if she doesn’t enjoy the preview and ends up nodding off while you watch a movie.
Only she can be relied upon to text you every day.
If you become too drunk to drive yourself home, she will be available.
She is the person to whom you can without fear make boastful displays of your successes and express shame for your errors.
Whether you have the flu or the common cold, she will put everything on hold to be at your beck and call.
She will encourage you to stick with your passions and support your interests.
No matter how many times you tell her “Nothing,” she’s the one who can always tell when something is wrong.
She is the only person who is aware of your irritating habits and still cares about you.
At least once every day, she never fails to express her love for you.
When you’re too weak to do it yourself, she bites your cheating boyfriend.
When she realizes there is only one cookie left for the two of you, she is the one who abruptly declares that she is full.
To make sure you’re satisfied, she will go above and beyond and work in the most trying circumstances.
She is the one who is still standing next to you after everyone else has left.
