"I need to hear it's going to be ok," was the greeting my mother received when we met for lunch.
"From him or from me?" she queried.
"From you."
"It's going to be ok," my mother said to me.
Life is full of uncertainty, and sometimes I just need to hear from my mother that it's going to be ok. I've needed to hear this at different times, notably when I'm feeling overwhelmed: for example, the first time I got dumped when I was 20 years old, and what a shock that was. It's sort of laughable now, since it's hardly a big deal anymore, but at the time I was pretty upset. And so my remarkable mother whisked me away for the weekend to go south of the border. We took long, long walks on the beach, during which she taught me all about international economics. To this day I can tell you about the relationship between foreign investment and the value of currency. She knows how to distract me, by stimulating my inquisitive nature. Though I do remember at one point thinking back to my relationship that had just ended, and considering how my life would look different now that my ex was no longer a part of it. Change can be frightening.
"Am I going to be ok?" I asked my mother.
"Yes," my mother said, with such ease and confidence. "You're going to be ok."
I've needed to hear her say this at other times too. The day I called home saying I was leaving UBC to pursue nursing because I didn't know what the hell I was doing with my life. And then there are the days you simply feel rotten, not for a reason you can easily put a finger on, but you feel like the very worst person to ever walk the earth. Thank god they're few and far between, but I've needed on those days to hear that it's ok, to be reminded the feeling won't last forever. Another time I called my mother in tears because I'd just been told that I'd been cheated on for the first time. The next morning my mother came downstairs to find me on the couch reading. She stood by the fireplace a moment, watching me and then said,
"You know there's a softness about you now. It's as though I can feel your relief."
She was able to sense what I was feeling, that despite the unfortunate situation, it somehow seemed right. And really, it did turn out to be ok. I'm fine. He's fine. We're all back on good terms, even our friends and family. We're not together anymore, but that's simply the nature of things: life is fraught with change.
What I love about my mother is that none of my so-called crises seem to phase her -- she doesn't think these times bear a lot of gravity or weight, or that they define me in any way except to make me stronger and more self-aware. She says I'm one to learn from my mistakes. I've pulled a lot of stunts over the years, wreaked my fair share of havoc, been reckless and flighty, exasperated all of my close friends by making absolutely god-awful decisions, but my mother has never thought any less of me for it. This never ceases to amaze me. In fact, I know without a doubt that she loves me, what they call unconditional love -- I've thrown so many reasons at her to get fed up and leave me to my own devices. Yet we've stuck together all these years, and so I've come to really trust the woman.
"Will it be ok if this relationship doesn't work out?" I asked my mother yesterday at lunch. But this time, she didn't give me the response I was expecting, yet it turned out to be exactly what I needed to hear.
"Have you heard the expression, Don't go borrowing trouble?" my mother asked me from across the table, serious and steely-eyed. "Whatever has you so scared," she continued, "Your reasons aren't good enough anymore. I don't want to know all the excuses you're making up out of thin air to sabotage the very thing that seems to be making you so happy. If you want to keep running, call the poor man now," she gestured to my phone on the table. "If you're going to lend patience to misery, get it over with already. But that's what everyone is expecting you to do, and I know deep down inside you hate that."
"Listen to me," my mother then said,
Like I said, she's a remarkable woman, and a wise mother, albeit stark-raving mad at times. She has always spoken to me as an adult and an equal, even when I was a child. I've often thought she is the only person I've known to deeply understand me, despite all my running, indecisiveness and frequent poor judgment -- she sees my searching heart, my curious mind, my adventurous spirit, and that I live with the valid fears of becoming stagnant and stuck. Everyone else will roll their eyes, or mouth the words Up to her antics again, or talk about another fiasco brewing, but my mother knows me well. She understands the way I think, what scares me, what fuels my choices.
In the play A Thousand Clowns, Herb, the protagonist refuses to release his twelve-year-old nephew to child welfare authorities, declaring
"From him or from me?" she queried.
"From you."
"It's going to be ok," my mother said to me.
Life is full of uncertainty, and sometimes I just need to hear from my mother that it's going to be ok. I've needed to hear this at different times, notably when I'm feeling overwhelmed: for example, the first time I got dumped when I was 20 years old, and what a shock that was. It's sort of laughable now, since it's hardly a big deal anymore, but at the time I was pretty upset. And so my remarkable mother whisked me away for the weekend to go south of the border. We took long, long walks on the beach, during which she taught me all about international economics. To this day I can tell you about the relationship between foreign investment and the value of currency. She knows how to distract me, by stimulating my inquisitive nature. Though I do remember at one point thinking back to my relationship that had just ended, and considering how my life would look different now that my ex was no longer a part of it. Change can be frightening.
"Am I going to be ok?" I asked my mother.
"Yes," my mother said, with such ease and confidence. "You're going to be ok."
I've needed to hear her say this at other times too. The day I called home saying I was leaving UBC to pursue nursing because I didn't know what the hell I was doing with my life. And then there are the days you simply feel rotten, not for a reason you can easily put a finger on, but you feel like the very worst person to ever walk the earth. Thank god they're few and far between, but I've needed on those days to hear that it's ok, to be reminded the feeling won't last forever. Another time I called my mother in tears because I'd just been told that I'd been cheated on for the first time. The next morning my mother came downstairs to find me on the couch reading. She stood by the fireplace a moment, watching me and then said,
"You know there's a softness about you now. It's as though I can feel your relief."
She was able to sense what I was feeling, that despite the unfortunate situation, it somehow seemed right. And really, it did turn out to be ok. I'm fine. He's fine. We're all back on good terms, even our friends and family. We're not together anymore, but that's simply the nature of things: life is fraught with change.
What I love about my mother is that none of my so-called crises seem to phase her -- she doesn't think these times bear a lot of gravity or weight, or that they define me in any way except to make me stronger and more self-aware. She says I'm one to learn from my mistakes. I've pulled a lot of stunts over the years, wreaked my fair share of havoc, been reckless and flighty, exasperated all of my close friends by making absolutely god-awful decisions, but my mother has never thought any less of me for it. This never ceases to amaze me. In fact, I know without a doubt that she loves me, what they call unconditional love -- I've thrown so many reasons at her to get fed up and leave me to my own devices. Yet we've stuck together all these years, and so I've come to really trust the woman.
"Will it be ok if this relationship doesn't work out?" I asked my mother yesterday at lunch. But this time, she didn't give me the response I was expecting, yet it turned out to be exactly what I needed to hear.
"Have you heard the expression, Don't go borrowing trouble?" my mother asked me from across the table, serious and steely-eyed. "Whatever has you so scared," she continued, "Your reasons aren't good enough anymore. I don't want to know all the excuses you're making up out of thin air to sabotage the very thing that seems to be making you so happy. If you want to keep running, call the poor man now," she gestured to my phone on the table. "If you're going to lend patience to misery, get it over with already. But that's what everyone is expecting you to do, and I know deep down inside you hate that."
"Listen to me," my mother then said,
"It's ok to fail. Calm yourself. Stop being so intense. And cease your dust storm, weathering those around you with your needless worry.""And bring him over for dinner," she added. "I want to meet this one."
Like I said, she's a remarkable woman, and a wise mother, albeit stark-raving mad at times. She has always spoken to me as an adult and an equal, even when I was a child. I've often thought she is the only person I've known to deeply understand me, despite all my running, indecisiveness and frequent poor judgment -- she sees my searching heart, my curious mind, my adventurous spirit, and that I live with the valid fears of becoming stagnant and stuck. Everyone else will roll their eyes, or mouth the words Up to her antics again, or talk about another fiasco brewing, but my mother knows me well. She understands the way I think, what scares me, what fuels my choices.
In the play A Thousand Clowns, Herb, the protagonist refuses to release his twelve-year-old nephew to child welfare authorities, declaring
"I want him to get to know exactly the special thing he is or else he won't notice it when it starts to go. I want him to stay awake... I want to be sure he sees all the wild possibilities. I want him to know it's worth all the trouble just to give the world a little goosing when you get the chance. And I want him to know the subtle, sneaky, important reason why he was born a human being and not a chair."
