I totally inherited my mother’s neuroses and anxiety (and bad back) but here’s what I don’t get...
What the hell did she have to worry about?
She didn’t need to worry about the flu causing a death.
We had the flu.
We had no vaccine.
We vomited and had high fevers and we were given rubbing alcohol rubs to cool our body down.
She was definitely not staying up all night worrying I may die.
(And I clearly remember my doctor coming to my house once. )
(No urgent cares back then and we got lollipops not stickers when we got a shot.)
She was not worried about bomb threats, mass shootings or lock downs.
There was no worry of peanut allergies because everyone under the sun ate peanut butter and fluff. She didn’t need to call ahead to birthday parties to see what was safe for me to eat nor did she have to carry two epi pens, benadryl and an inhaler around with her .
There was no worry of skin cancer which is why we slathered ourselves with baby oil rather than spf 150 no paraben organic, dye free, animal free, vegan suntan lotion.
Keto, Whole 30, gluten free, intermittent fasting.
What the hell did she have to worry about?
She didn’t need to worry about the flu causing a death.
We had the flu.
We had no vaccine.
We vomited and had high fevers and we were given rubbing alcohol rubs to cool our body down.
She was definitely not staying up all night worrying I may die.
(And I clearly remember my doctor coming to my house once. )
(No urgent cares back then and we got lollipops not stickers when we got a shot.)
She was not worried about bomb threats, mass shootings or lock downs.
As a matter of fact she sent me off to school to walk by myself at the mature old age of 6.
And when I was old enough to ride my bike, I can assure you she didn’t make sure I wore my helmet.
Because I had no helmet.
I’m almost positive I didn’t wear a seat belt and if I did I surely didn’t wear one while sitting in the back of the Buick station wagon with three other of my friends.
I went out alone to friends homes, the playground, to the “square” to buy wacky packs and slushes.
All was fine as long as I was home before dark.
When I learned to drive I didn’t text her when I arrived, left, or changed locations. She didn’t know where I was and couldn’t spy on me by looking up a find my phone app because I didn’t have a phone.
She somehow fell asleep while I was out.
Imagine?!
She didn’t leave her phone out on the dinner table when she went out with my dad- just in case I, or the babysitter, called.
No phone.
No worry.
If an emergency happened the restaurant would have to page them somehow. They ate dinner without glancing at a screen.
I imagined they conversed with each other.
She didn’t worry about social pressure because no one was putting their life - (or their “so called life”) on social media.
If I was excluded from a party I didn’t see pictures of it blasted everywhere and there were no emojis, thumbs up or “likes” to stress out a 13 year old.
Plus a party was a bunch of kids playing spin the bottle (if that)
My mother wasn’t worried about cyber bullying- the only bullying was the kid who pushed me on the grass occasionally as I was walking home in first grade. (PUNK!)
And when I was old enough to ride my bike, I can assure you she didn’t make sure I wore my helmet.
Because I had no helmet.
I’m almost positive I didn’t wear a seat belt and if I did I surely didn’t wear one while sitting in the back of the Buick station wagon with three other of my friends.
I went out alone to friends homes, the playground, to the “square” to buy wacky packs and slushes.
All was fine as long as I was home before dark.
When I learned to drive I didn’t text her when I arrived, left, or changed locations. She didn’t know where I was and couldn’t spy on me by looking up a find my phone app because I didn’t have a phone.
She somehow fell asleep while I was out.
Imagine?!
She didn’t leave her phone out on the dinner table when she went out with my dad- just in case I, or the babysitter, called.
No phone.
No worry.
If an emergency happened the restaurant would have to page them somehow. They ate dinner without glancing at a screen.
I imagined they conversed with each other.
She didn’t worry about social pressure because no one was putting their life - (or their “so called life”) on social media.
If I was excluded from a party I didn’t see pictures of it blasted everywhere and there were no emojis, thumbs up or “likes” to stress out a 13 year old.
Plus a party was a bunch of kids playing spin the bottle (if that)
My mother wasn’t worried about cyber bullying- the only bullying was the kid who pushed me on the grass occasionally as I was walking home in first grade. (PUNK!)
There was no worry of peanut allergies because everyone under the sun ate peanut butter and fluff. She didn’t need to call ahead to birthday parties to see what was safe for me to eat nor did she have to carry two epi pens, benadryl and an inhaler around with her .
There was no worry of skin cancer which is why we slathered ourselves with baby oil rather than spf 150 no paraben organic, dye free, animal free, vegan suntan lotion.
Keto, Whole 30, gluten free, intermittent fasting.
NOPE.
The only fasting that was done was on Yom Kippur.
We certainly didn’t know any vegans and we all ate white bread and made it to the age of 21 and beyond.
She didn’t worry that I wasn’t breast fed, that I could die from second hand smoke, or that the water I drank came from an actual faucet.
She didn’t worry that I wasn’t meeting milestones, that my height for weight percentage wasn’t in sync, or that my obsession of reorganizing my room may be OCD, ADD or any other kind of initialed diagnoses.
The only fasting that was done was on Yom Kippur.
We certainly didn’t know any vegans and we all ate white bread and made it to the age of 21 and beyond.
She didn’t worry that I wasn’t breast fed, that I could die from second hand smoke, or that the water I drank came from an actual faucet.
She didn’t worry that I wasn’t meeting milestones, that my height for weight percentage wasn’t in sync, or that my obsession of reorganizing my room may be OCD, ADD or any other kind of initialed diagnoses.
So my dear mother, I ask you this;
What the hell did you have to worry about?
What the hell did you have to worry about?
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