Personal Post: Mom, Vacation
Being home has been largely easier than I thought. That isn't to say this trip has been without emotions; far from it. I feel an interesting mix of sadness, nostalgia, gratitude and an odd dose of loneliness. Getting lost while driving today didn't distress me as it usually does (due to my dyscalculia, I frequently get lost and generally rely on my GPS device to navigate my way back, even with destinations that I arguably ought to have memorized) but had a relaxing quality to it.
I'm not particularly interested in being too negative, but I have to report (to nobody's great shock, I'm sure) that my mother has found a way to make this trip all about her. I'd been in Kansas City for less than six hours before she began blowing up my phone with demands on my time. At one point, she recited her entire free schedule, and told me what times I needed to make myself available for her. I felt like blowing my top, because in the typical fashion of my mother, there was no "discussion," no seeking permission of my schedule. It was completely demanding, no questions asked, no possible discussion that maybe my plans weren't to be subject to her whims.
It carried over to today. And as much as I am really trying not to let it ruin my night, I can't completely let go of my irritation. I want a really nice time out here, and I can't be surprised at her never-ending selfishness. My grandmother, her mother, was the same way. But I'm not going to let her continued narcissism define my trip, and I will not feel badly about trying to enjoy my vacation by not quadruple booking myself.
Especially with someone I'd rather not spend more than a few hours a year with.
Edit: And, as if to completely validate my point, after telling my mom how I'm struggling to get up before noon, she calls and wakes me up at 10. And not only does she obviously wake me up, she doesn't even apologize before launching into another demand of my time for Tuesday. Oy vey.
I'm not particularly interested in being too negative, but I have to report (to nobody's great shock, I'm sure) that my mother has found a way to make this trip all about her. I'd been in Kansas City for less than six hours before she began blowing up my phone with demands on my time. At one point, she recited her entire free schedule, and told me what times I needed to make myself available for her. I felt like blowing my top, because in the typical fashion of my mother, there was no "discussion," no seeking permission of my schedule. It was completely demanding, no questions asked, no possible discussion that maybe my plans weren't to be subject to her whims.
It carried over to today. And as much as I am really trying not to let it ruin my night, I can't completely let go of my irritation. I want a really nice time out here, and I can't be surprised at her never-ending selfishness. My grandmother, her mother, was the same way. But I'm not going to let her continued narcissism define my trip, and I will not feel badly about trying to enjoy my vacation by not quadruple booking myself.
Especially with someone I'd rather not spend more than a few hours a year with.
Edit: And, as if to completely validate my point, after telling my mom how I'm struggling to get up before noon, she calls and wakes me up at 10. And not only does she obviously wake me up, she doesn't even apologize before launching into another demand of my time for Tuesday. Oy vey.