Memory Monday: The Day I Became My Mother

Me with my mother and daughter

THE DAY I BECAME MY MOTHER

I remember the day very well. I was sitting in a recliner in our living room, watching my children in the hall as they examined and discussed our new cell phone. Now you need to understand that this was a number of years ago. My daughter had recently turned sixteen and we had given her permission to date (yes, I know that my husband and I are old-fashioned). We decided to break down and get one of those contraptions—after all, we never knew what situations she might get into out with a boy and all.

Anyway, back to that day. As I sat in that chair, I realized that I had become my mother. Often when my brother and his family came to visit Mother, we had a family dinner. It could always be counted on that sometime while we were eating, or just after, there would be a discussion about computers. At that time, we had Apple ones—not the fancy ones of today. No, we both had the kind that didn’t have hard drives, just floppy discs. We discussed the pros and cons of the different styles.

I remember glancing over at Mother at these times while she stared off into space—not that she didn’t want us all there nor did she have any kind of medical problem. She loved her family and always welcomed them to her home. No, the problem was that she just had no idea of what we were talking about.

That was how I felt that day as I sat in my chair, listening to my children discussing something that I had no understanding about—how you set this or how this feature works or, or, or. It was all just beyond me.

Separated by time, Mother and I had become one while our children discussed new things that are and things that were to come.

Mother never had a computer, but I do have one of those new fancy cell phones (which I hardly ever carry). My son gave me his old one when he purchased a new one—now I can take pictures as well as make phone calls (if I remember to take it with me). Everything else about that iPhone is just beyond me (don’t even get me started on texting).

I now better understand that faraway gaze Mother used to have in her eyes when we jabbered away about computers. I wonder what new invention will cause my daughter to realize that she has become me one day.