I could write poetry for days about my mother. I’ve written many posts about her in this blog because she has been an enormous influence on my life. She was a woman who didn’t leave her house after she was 10 without a burqa, she didn’t go to school until she was engaged to my father at 17 (and that was considered old), and she had an arranged marriage.
And then she raised me. Need I say more about what a powerhouse my mother is?
What about your mom? Did she teach you to be a woman? Did she tell you that your femininity was a weapon as well as a comfort? Did she teach you that you use it as the tool that it is? Did she make sure you knew that no matter what happened, you were okay, but that trying to be better was always a worthwhile goal? Did she teach you to cook, to keep house, and make sure you kept your grades up? Did she make sure that if a man ever left you, you would still be able to take care of yourself?
Did she teach you to be a man? Did she allow you to do boy things (even though she didn’t understand them. Lord knows I don’t get it at all.) Did she teach you to speak your mind, to open doors and to exude confidence yet also listen and be aware of those around you? Did she tell you that empathy was ok and that being a man was more than just testosterone? Did she teach you to take pride in being a breadwinner and to understand that when you had kids, your presence in their life was non-negotiable?
Did your mother give you the space needed for you to become the person she always knew you could be?
This, I find, is the greatest challenge with mothers. It is very difficult to allow our children to exist and set parameters and boundaries for them without imposing our idea of what they should become.
Did your mother do this for you? Your mother probably loves you. I mean, that’s generally the rule. But right now, if you look at yourself in real time, without anyone influencing you – do you think she would be happy with how you are behaving? Would you be ashamed of the fact that you voted for “your mom” instead of learning about ethics or racist voter ID laws? Or would she shake her head at the person you’ve become who makes a mockery of twitter polls and doesn’t care about filling your brain with important knowledge but rather, would like to read a post about her when I don’t even know her?
You people are ridiculous.
I voted for something else, just saying.
My mom taught me to hold the door open for everybody, be as “feminine” or as “masculine” (my shorthand) as I want (I ended up pretty banally “dudey” but can do “chick shit” and enjoy it), and to jump into traffic to save even my enemies.
She drives me absolutely fucking nuts, but I think she did a pretty good job.
Turns out I replied before reading to the end. Prof. Volokh the elder would be very disappointed in me (in an alternate universe where he stalks his former students online.)
My mom is incapable of being anything other than satisfied/happy and optimistic or sad and optimistic. My sister and I joke about her being a “quivering blob of compassion.”
To paraphrase the flavor of the day, “I could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and not lose one bit of my mother’s love and support.” that being the case, she’s incapable of objectively judging my character. But I think she’s somewhere approaching proud of my circumstances.
And as I said, or at least implied, above:I’m extremely grateful that I got that particular mom. The shooting pains in my ass notwithstanding.
My mom was proud of me and yes, she would be happy with how I behave. I didn’t cast a vote, but I read the blog. I read some of your blogs. I love my kids too and am proud of them no matter what they do. I hope if they read your blog and think of me, they know I am proud of them. Love you.
So what if Bob’s mom let him do it? If Bob’s mom let him jump off the Empire State Building, would you want me to let you do it too?
My grandmother fleed Turkey during Christian percecution of 1900s with my mother as a baby. I dont trust Islam law which is cruel and unjust. My mother would be proud that i am a voice to keep my country safe from islamic law infecting my nation. Afghanistan supplies the heroin that is killing our youths. Trump will be a good president