Sunday, May 11, 2008

mother's day

My son (age 21) just asked me if he could do "the Mother's Day thing" tomorrow instead of today. I signaled no opinion of this non-celebration of all that I have done for him, my only child. It can wait - until he is ready to celebrate it. I just hope I don't get hit by a truck before he celebrates. That could lead to a lifetime of guilt.

Maybe it means something good that he is not over-anxious to please me. Many adults reach a point in their lives when they suddenly realize that they have been trying hard their whole lives to earn the approval of one or the other parent. Then there are the blame gamers - those who point fingers at a parent and say "you caused this misery in my life".

But as Albert Ellis said, "The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You don't blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the President. You realize that you control your own destiny."

So, Happy Mother's Day!

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