All my life, my mom's been alwaaaaaaays taller than me. When I was young, I'd measure my height according to her body parts. I used to be "Mom's hip", "under Mom's boobies", "Mom's armpit", "Mom's chin", and "Mom's eyes".
And 2 years ago, when I was 14, I was officially her height.
I'm 5'8" (but I'm an insecure sloucher but anyway).
I didn't check my height compared to hers since I reached her height.
Just now, I was washing the dishes and my mom came to yell about how I was washing them wrong. She was standing next to me, pointing to the dishes and grumbling about how I'm too spoiled to be good at chores ( ) and I turned my head sideways to give a snappy retort when I noticed that...
my mommy shrunk!
She's.... up to my eyes now. Then, the thought registered in my mind.
My mother's getting really old. She's 55, turning 56 this year.
I know... it's really.. childish to think that parents will live with us forever, but I never realized how old my mom became... and how old I became. I then realized that I was sort of expecting to stay with my parents forever. I mean, like, the thought finally materialized. That's why I'm so lazy and comfortable. I expected my parents to take care of me for a long time. I knew I would have to let them go at some point, but I always blew that thought off and concluded that my older self will worry about that later.
Holy crap, my mom got smaller. She forgot to dye her hair so it's all white now. Her face is so worn and weathered. Her eyesight's getting bad (she used to have 20/20).
She is such a strong foundation for my life. I can't imagine living without her......... good cooking.
I'm not even sure where I'm trying to go with this.. it's just.. I love her. And I never tell her enough. Hehe, my lack of outward affection's so bad with her that if I DO give her a hug/kiss she gets suspicious and asks how much do I need/what did I do wrong.
There's a lot of threads with parents cooing about their children. I guess I just wanted to talk about my momma .
[ February 07, 2006, 02:10 AM: Message edited by: Kitsune ]
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Your Mom must have been the same age when you were born that my Mum was when my little sister was born.
And if my Mum is any indication, you've probably kept your Mum way younger than her peers.
Even if it is catching up with her now a little bit.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
People die all the time. Tell the people you love that you love them every day. It's cheesy, but it's true.
I would also like to point out that on average the chances of your mother living to be 100+ are excellent. So, don't get all mopey.
By the way
quote: She is such a strong foundation for my life. I can't imagine living without her......... good cooking.
loved that bit. Posted by CoriSCapnSkip (Member # 9153) on :
I know the feeling, but if your mom is really shrinking, rather than you growing, you need to get her to a doctor ASAP for a bone density test!
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
I realized when my dad died that there was nothing we'd ever fought about that was of the slightest importance compared to that. And now I miss even the things about him that used to drive me nuts. Not that we should ever stop working on treating each other better, or building a happier family, but maybe we should also spend more time cherishing people for being exactly the way they are. I don't know. It's strange how parents are so much a part of you, no matter what. And it's strange how an ordinary day when we were all together still is such a precious thing, but you never can realize that at the time.
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
Please don't tell me "55 - 56" is OLD. I'll be 40 this year and one thing that keeps me from getting depressed is that my mom (62 next month) still seems young to me. (Well, maybe not young young, but still "prime of your life" young. I have another friend who just turned 60, and in my mind he's the same age as me. He's still active and fun. My ex's aunt was in her 80s and she was still active and a real hoot to be around. I never thought of her as old.
Old-age is an attitude.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
My mother is in her early 70's and is just as active today as ever. She travels constantly and enjoys life.
56 is NOT old!
And stop slouching!
And keep off my lawn!
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tatiana: I realized when my dad died that there was nothing we'd ever fought about that was of the slightest importance compared to that. And now I miss even the things about him that used to drive me nuts. Not that we should ever stop working on treating each other better, or building a happier family, but maybe we should also spend more time cherishing people for being exactly the way they are. I don't know. It's strange how parents are so much a part of you, no matter what. And it's strange how an ordinary day when we were all together still is such a precious thing, but you never can realize that at the time.
(((Tatiana)))
quote:This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
*wistful
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Go get a copy of this book for your mum, and read it together:
Edit - meant in a purely complimentary way.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I agree with Imogen. My mom was 38 when I was born, and she's deffinatly "younger" than people the same age, I mean you have to be when dealing with teenagers all the time (she's also a middle school english teacher). I think we're exactly the same height, and she hasn't really shrunk.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
jux: (t)all asian girls are hot.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Give her a hug for no reason.
And wash the dishes the right way. Know she won't always be there to show you how.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
This thread makes me miss my mother.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
When my mother-in-law had a stroke last fall, I told my parents that they were both forbidden to get sick or die. Ever.
I know it's going to happen eventually, but hopefully not for a very long time. I have no idea how I'll handle it.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
My brother sent me some pictures from Christmas, and I noticed my parents are getting old. Of course, because I'm a little **** I tell them that all the time. But I'm just joking when I say it.
My dad's nearly 60 and my mom's 53. I hope they both live for a really long time.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
My mom tells me I'm getting old. I ask her what that says about her.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Shan, I love that book . My mother has a tune for the song. She never read it to me but to my sisters and of course I listen in.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Both my parents died before age 65. I didn't have anything really left undone between myself and either parent, but I still miss them.
I get this irrational pang of jealousy whenever somebody talks about going shopping with their mother, or having lunch or cofee together. I'm working on that. *sigh*
Make sure they know how you feel about them. YOu'll still miss them when they're gone, though. I can't say whether it's any easier, since I haven't done it both ways, but the conventional wisdom says it's worse if issues are left unresolved.
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
I used to measure my height by my grandmother just as you did with your mom. Shoulder...chin...eyes...
Now I can rest my chin on my grandma's head.
Posted by aren3 (Member # 9154) on :
I love my mom. And my dad, too. A few years ago, my Dad was diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma) and he spent 3 months at a hospital 3 hours away for a bone marrow transplant. My mom went with him and one of my aunts took care of my brother and me. The transplanet went well and he is in remission, but the experience made me realize I dodn't want to lose either of them anytime soon.
Also, on the subject of oldness: there's a lady who goes to my church who is in her 80s. I used to see her when I was walking in the park for exercise but I very rarely spoke to her because she walked too fast for me to catch up.
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kitsune: I'm not even sure where I'm trying to go with this.. it's just.. I love her. And I never tell her enough. Hehe, my lack of outward affection's so bad with her that if I DO give her a hug/kiss she gets suspicious and asks how much do I need/what did I do wrong.
Show her this thread. As long as you don't think she'll be offended at being called old, that is. Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :
quote:Originally posted by imogen: Your Mom must have been the same age when you were born that my Mum was when my little sister was born.
Ditto. (except I'm a part of the Mom camp)
Posted by Kitsune (Member # 8290) on :
Tatiana, you're completely right. I'm trying to think of any arguments that I would actually hold on to, but I can't think of anything.
Actually, our family is reaally weird. No one holds grudges. No matter how bad the fight was, in the next couple of minutes, my mom would breezily ask me what I felt like eating for dinner. I'd eagerly reply with a yummy steak, please!
I smack talk to my dad all the time too. He'd do something silly, like chase my cat around or something, and I'd call him an idiot. He justs laughs and attacks me with a noogie and calls me the idiot.
I hate getting mushy though!
Aiya, I dunno, 50 years is half a century. Just saying... Posted by CoriSCapnSkip (Member # 9153) on :
If your mom has any record of what her height was in the past, compare it to her height now. 40s-50s is not too young for osteoporosis and some people put off doing anything about it for way too long!
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz: My mother is in her early 70's and is just as active today as ever. She travels constantly and enjoys life.
56 is NOT old!
And stop slouching!
And keep off my lawn!
What Bob said.
Posted by Kitsune (Member # 8290) on :
My mom did get smaller, 'cause she was 5'7", but I thought that it was natural for everybody to..
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Kitsune - your relationship with your parents sounds pretty awesome. My mom does the same thing - the second I'm especially nice to her, she looks at me and says, "I don't have any cash on me."
quote:jux: (t)all asian girls are hot.
/agree
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
quote:Originally posted by Shan: Go get a copy of this book for your mum, and read it together:
I think that book is just a tad creepy. She climbs into his window for heaven's sake!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, I love that book! I never understood why my dad always cried when he read it to us until I had a baby, though. Posted by Kitsune (Member # 8290) on :
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac:
quote:jux: (t)all asian girls are hot.
/agree
I know; there's too much competition. My school's 80% Asian, so all the hot asian girls get the hot boys and I end up with a goose egg Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Your school's 80% asian?
Holy crap, I think that's actually more asian than mine was.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Scary Memory:
I was in Chicago at a hotel with my grandma, my great aunt, and my mom. I wake up in the morning to find them all sitting on my bed crying, while reading a book. It was Love You Forever and the first time any of them but my mom had read it. I'll never forget that morning, I was afraid someone had died (it was the day after the OJ Simpson car chase).
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
quote:Originally posted by JaneX: I used to measure my height by my grandmother just as you did with your mom. Shoulder...chin...eyes...
Now I can rest my chin on my grandma's head.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
quote:Originally posted by JaneX: I used to measure my height by my grandmother just as you did with your mom. Shoulder...chin...eyes...
Now I can rest my chin on my grandma's head.
JaneX, I have met you IRL...that is one short grandma! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I can do the same with my grandma. I remember when we were the same size-- I think I was in 4th grade.
And what's wrong with crying over Love You Forever? Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
It's ok to cry over it, just not crying enough to wake up an 8 year old.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
My little baby, 15 years old today, is taller than I am. It is nice. I can ask him to get the cups and glasses on the high shelves. Now my bottom shelf is a lot less crowded.
I'm old. 40 years of it. Old is nice.
There is no virtue in being young. Young is something you are born with. Old is something you earn and achieve. Old rocks! I fully intend to try to get even older.
Youth is so chauvinistic! Posted by CoriSCapnSkip (Member # 9153) on :
Perhaps everyone does shrink a little, but it is so not healthy to take it for granted!
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Well, here's another reason to wax philopsophical about the mom-child relationship, hot off the presses:
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: There is no virtue in being young. Young is something you are born with. Old is something you earn and achieve. Old rocks! I fully intend to try to get even older.
Youth is so chauvinistic!
Earning "oldness" takes forever though. I feel like I lived so much and I'm barely 17!
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
<<<CT>>>
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Earning "oldness" takes forever though. I feel like I lived so much and I'm barely 17!
It's gets easier with practice. Just watch. I have a sister who is 6 years younger than I am. She started junior high the same year I started college. When she graduated from high school, I remember musing over that fact. I'd spent the previous 6 years going to college and serving an LDS mission. It was hard to believe that those six years were anywhere near as long as the six years I'd spent in junior and senior high school.
I met my husband almost 20 years ago and it feels like it was barely yesterday.
I guess aging is just like anything else we learn in life. It seems really hard at first, but once you get the hang of it, time breezes by.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
I think that as children, we all view our parents as being constant and unchangable. I remember as a very small child, maybe 3 or so, being really surprised to hear my mother talk about when she was a little girl. I knew that I was growing up and would some day be big like my mom but some how it had never occurred to me that she had done the same thing too. To me, she had always been my mom and couldn't ever be or have been anything else.
When I was in my mid-twenties I went backpacking in the Grand Canyon with my father. I had been backpacking and hiking with him many times before and he had always been "Superman". He was strong and fast and never slowed down. He could carry a baby and all our lunches and never get tired, so on this hike when he got worn out and over heated and needed to stop while I was still full of energy, it came as a shock to me.
I think it surprises everyone the first time they look at their parents and realize that they are changin. Maybe it is because we grow and change so much as children that are parents seem to not age by comparison. Or perhaps it is because a child always sees his parents as larger than life, a view that can not be maintained when we become adults. Maybe there is yet some better explanation, but even though my parents are in my seventies now, I am still surprised on occassion to find that they are no longer able to do all the things they could do when I was a child.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
but anyway).![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
) and I turned my head sideways to give a snappy retort when I noticed that...![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I ask her what that says about her.
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
/agree
![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
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