 |
| Cristal and I cooking together |
It’s
Mother’s Day and time to take stock of why I’m being treated to dinner with the
rest of my colleagues. I’ve given this
much consideration; after all, I’ve had thirty-two years (my daughter’s age,
not mine) to mull this over. Of course,
one would think that thirty-two years of experience would teach you a lesson. Not
quite so…or at least, if we don’t generalize, not always true! Here are five things I’ve learned about being
a mother:
1) My
daughter is the most beautiful, intelligent, wonderful, kind, considerate blah bla
bla person in the world. You may think the same about your child, and know that
the occasional snarky words, hissy fits, and tears are not his/her true self. This
assessment cannot be denied or downgraded, and will be believed and taken with
you to the grave.
2) My
daughter knows far more than I could ever hope to know, even though I have a
good thirty-five year head start on her:
my experience counts for nought.
Don’t think about asking stupid questions; you will only be talked down
and have to find another, quiet, moment to ask the same question in a
reasonable way. Please take note, and
mark it well: You will never, ever, EVER
be as smart as your children.
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| Cristal and her fiance, Daniel Saffon |
3) Her
boyfriend or his girlfriend is the second most wonderful person in the world,
no matter
what you think. Luckily, my
daughter Cristal is now engaged, and, yes, her fiancé is the second most wonderful
person in the world—after all, he can put up with her. OOooops, did I say that? Well, he must be
Superman because he’s marrying Wonder Woman.
I do recall, however, a beau she dated for four years at university whom
I absolutely could not stand. This was a major problem except that, happily,
she was at university in the USA, and I lived in London at the time. When I
received the call one afternoon that she had broken up with said boyfriend (for
the very same reasons I disliked him), I practically pirouetted down the street
in joy…
4) Every
gift she/he gives you is in the best taste and exactly what you wanted. Do not
even begin to think about this; don’t ask any questions, just wear or display whatever
it is he/she’s given you and enjoy it, show it off, and be proud. And that includes the item you wouldn’t be
caught dead in.
5) Finally,
when he/she presents you with your first grandchild and you foresee years ahead
of babysitting, nose-wiping and diaper changing, listen carefully to the
instructions she now gives you about holding that precious bundle. After all, what the hell do you know about
holding a baby? Admittedly, I still have
to look forward to this moment, yet I see it clear as day—the information, the
instructions, the sigh of disapproval.
Just
as if I hadn’t raised the mother myself.
To
read a bit more about the troubles children have with their parents, head to Bad
Boy, Big Heart in the Come Love a Cowboy anthology,
available at:
myBook.to/Come-Love-A-Cowboy
AND https://www.amazon.com/Come-Love-Cowboy-Kathleen-Ball-ebook/dp/B01D5876UK/
When New Yorker K.C. Daniels heads to Wyoming for a summer
job, she wants nothing more than to fit in with the staff of the Lazy S Ranch.
Yearning to be independent of her mom and dad, and have a taste of the west
before she starts her Master's degree, getting involved with a cowboy is the
last thing on her mind—especially when she’s greeted with warnings about ‘Bad
Boy’ Chay Ridgway.
High school dropout Chay Ridgway sees summer as his time to
be a rodeo star and win a girl in his life, while facing the responsibilities
he has for his father. Although working to bring in cash to help his dad, he's
never had a problem finding a woman who's happy to be that summer love—until
K.C. Daniels appears on the scene.
As two different worlds collide in a season that will end
all too soon, is this going to be another summer romance or a love that will
last for years?
Twitter: @andidowning
https://twitter.com/AndiDowning
