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My Mother Always Told Me

© Shannon

Why is it that there are days that I can't shake the feeling that my mother has possessed my body. I catch myself telling things to my kids that I would hear from my mother as a child and for fleeting moments ponder their importance. Such phrases as, "Because I said so," or "Go ask your dad" or my personal favorite, "Shut the door, you weren't born in a barn".

As Mother's Day approaches, I find myself wondering more and more why giving birth automatically changes one's attitude toward life. Yes, raising a child is a significant responsibility, but you wouldn't think that some of life's smallest details would become the major issues and grounds for war once your maternal instincts kicked in.

Take for example underwear. As a teen I would have found it quite amusing if one of my friends had announced to me that she had refused to wear her underwear that morning.

Ooohh, no underwear, that's living on the edge.

But as a mother, I'm having a bit more difficulty finding this sort of behavior in my two year old exciting. Why does it bother me? I don't know. It's not like anyone else knows she's not wearing underpants, much less like they care. Yet, it's one thing that causes me grief every morning when I get her dressed.

Or what about my other daughter's inability to color coordinate her outfits. So polkadots and stripes don't match. Will this minor detail lead to her to a life of crime? Will she be calling me from jail at sixteen saying, "I just wish you would've ripped those stripes and polkadots off of me when I was six!" I doubt it. But for some reason it's all I can do to keep my mouth shut and let her chose her own outfit. I've read all of the parenting articles about power struggles and choosing your battles. So I'm prepared to let this one slide. This time.

I'm slowly beginning to understand those certain phrases that my mother always told me. I'm learning the importance of going to bed early and sitting at least four feet away from the T.V. while watching it. I realize that "Because I said so" is one of the best reasons for doing something and that running around outside without shoes does have its consequences.

What's funny is now my mom tells me how she wishes she would have relaxed more when I was young and not worried so much about the little things.

"Oh, how I wished I would've lightened up a long time ago," she often

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