Who are you making fun of? I feel obligated to warn you that you are systematically being transformed into the very characters you used to mock. At least I am.
Back in Guatemala when I was the new kid on the block, a young 20-something with few enough children to call each one by the right name most of the time, I used to snicker at Mrs. (you-think-you-have-it-bad) Missionary Mighty Woman with her eight (what was she thinking?) children. She was notorious for publicly correcting her husband, saying, “No, dear. I’m sure you are mistaken. It couldn’t have possibly been 1950-whatever when that happened, because I distinctly remember that I was pregnant with such-and-such a baby that summer….”
Ha! How I used to laugh over that, until I stopped finding it funny. In fact now I find myself (horrors!), not saying it outright (usually), but often mentally correcting my own dh’s faulty time lines. I now calculate dates and events based on how many children we had at any time in question.
Once upon a time I vowed to never evolve into that Mighty Missionary Woman for another reason, but darn if I don’t see glimpses of “You-think-you-have-it-bad” staring at me in the mirror. Maybe it was inevitable, I don’t know, but it does seem that you fresh young 20-somethings have a much easier go of things than we did back in my day, and certainly have things easier than the generation before me. But I will keep my mouth closed and try hard not to say it out loud, though my pen might get careless at times.
When you turn into me someday (just you wait!), or worse, into your mother, which we all seem to do for better or for worse, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Oh, and another confession, while I’m on a roll. I used to secretly and sometimes openly tease a missionary friend who suffers from something akin to narcolepsy. Poor thing. She randomly drops off to sleep whenever she is in a comfortable chair (which of course is not a daily occurrence in this prickly land of rustic and hard furniture). Ha, ha, ha. How I used to laugh, until I had Dengue, and now it’s Jamie Jo sitting in the chair falling asleep without notice.
I’m telling you, beware! Watch whom you tease. She’s lurking in your mirror even now.
IRL* Maybe if I intentionally mock all the skinny ladies….
Hilarious post, Jamie Jo. I have to confess I've already started turning into my mother! Only 47 and it's happening already! I'm sure I'm turning into the "church lady" too!
ReplyDeleteWe'd better just keep laughing, don't you think?
Absolutely! Let's keep reminding each other to keep laughing, too, okay? In my case, I have to admit that turning into my mom is mostly a very positive transformation. Even dh agrees.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, and so true! Several times lately I've been thumbing through photos and have thought I was looking at a pic of my mother, when in fact it was a picture me! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoy your writing Jamie Jo! You are gifted.
Linda
I loved this post. It is so easy to see how haaarrrddd! my life is and want to complain. I am learning that yes I went through, or am going through hard things and sometimes someone else's hard things don't look so hard. But God has given us each the grace to go through our OWN trials and that is what we need to lean into. My friend's trials are hard for her and I want to stand with her and support her. Thanks for helping me see myself in that mirror and laugh a bit.
ReplyDeleteBless you, Linda. Your affirmation means a lot since it's your memoirs that inspire me so often.
ReplyDeleteDenise, so true about others' trials. One reason I purpose to remember the hard times is not to compare with others, but to truly sympathize with them in their difficulties. I choose to not forget how hard life was with little ones at home demanding my attention, and not forget how hard those early years of adjustment were, etc..
Glad you can laugh at the image in the mirror. It is funny sometimes.
Love it! I forgot who said this, but how true: "I have seen the enemy...and it is me." Thanks for another very real post!
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