Thinking on Things

Warning: this is another no-laffs-blog. Any second now I'll be back to normal. But not yet. xo amy

When we’re little we think our parents know everything. For a while during adolescence we may think they’re dumb as toads, but we re-realize our parents' brilliance when we have kids of our own.

Isn't that tidy?

But the story doesn't end there. 

Next comes the part where Mom & Dad get on our nerves again, just as badly as when we were thirteen. 

Now, however, we’re middle aged and not allowed to roll our eyes when they repeat questions without registering the answer. We can't storm out of the room and slam the door, or crank the music up to drown them out when they tell the same embarrassing story about us on loop.

This time around, we don't get to pity ourselves. 

We have to act mature and compassionate. 

In fact, we need to step in and take over in big and little humiliating ways that make both generations cringe.

But the story doesn't end there either. 

Our ultimate hope is not for our competent children to ease our transition.

The report from many deathbed vigils is that at the very end we are back where we started, calling for Mom.