I am humbled by the level of patience my mom had with me over the years, especially my teenage years. She had to put up with so much angst, when throwing me out would have been the easier road. I hope I have apologized enough in words and deeds. I am not “Miss smarty pants” anymore, in fact, I think I know much less than I thought I knew then.
The ability to tolerate a hell of a lot has been passed onto me, with the mothering of my dogs. When Lucille came to me the other night, very concerned and upset because a long strand of grass was stuck in her bum, I had no problem pulling it out. In fact, I have done that countless of times. When Madeline wants to come in and out from the backyard, I have no problem opening and closing the door 10 times in 20 minutes. and No, I can’t leave the door open because Benjamin is deathly afraid of flies. and then, I have no problem spending 1/2 hour hunting down the one small fly that has found its way in so that Benjamin can stop shaking in his bed. I have no problem with the shrill barking that Lucille does the moment we get in the truck until we get to the park. This ride could be 10 minutes or an hour. She sits directly behind me, and while she barks, she spits at me so much so that my shoulder is wet from it all. This is simply because she is so enthusiastic about our destination. I simply tune it out and wipe my shoulder clean. If a passenger ever rides with me, they are amazed that I ride in peaceful ignorance while she yells with glee at both of us “Mom, when are we gonna get there!”
I think what others might find extremely annoying, I find precious- because I am their mom. Their quirks are what make them loveable to me. I celebrate their unique goofiness. I let them be who they are, without needing to change or mold them to suit my interests. I love them unconditionally- especially because they are quirky and odd. That is what a mom does.
Thank you mom for teaching me about love and tolerance.