What do you mean?
Today I spent most of the day with my mother. At IKEA.
It’s funny. Even at 81, she has more of an idea what she wants in the space she lives than I do in mine.
Mom had her list. We drove into Atlanta and she did her thing.
I looked over the desks for my future office space when we move into our renovated house in the year 2019.
I saw a very funky table top leg combo that I liked.
“You don’t want that. That will be in the first room people see when they come in the house. You need this.”
And she proceeded to show me what I needed. It wasn’t bad. But I liked the other better. Happy to inform you that I’m going to get the table I want. But as I typed that my breath got a bit quicker and blood pressure a bit wavier.
It’s funny living close to a woman who never got to express her opinion due to a domineering husband.
She is a woman unleashed. As much as a 81-year-old woman can be. Eighty-one-year-old women don’t burn their bras. They unhinge their tongues.
These days I flat out tell her, “Mom you are so passive aggressive.”
She replies, “You always say that. . . . What do you mean?”
See.
Only a passive aggressive genius would throw back — what do you mean?
We had fun. I just have to realize she won’t change and I need to. It’s okay to get whatever darn table I want.
NaBloPoMo, Day 12.
I miss living within driving distance of Ikea.
You certainly can find just about everything you need there Robbie. It’s just deciding what you want.
They unhinge their tongues.
Some of the boys and I describe our wives that way. Kind of funny because if we mention it to them they insist they are cautious in their speech and yet sometimes no caution is heard.
Perspective is a funny thing.
Even if it didn’t happen until later in life, I’m happy to hear your mother defined as “a woman unleashed.” When I first read you went with your mother to IKEA, I thought this post was going to end in disaster.
Thanks for the laugh Angela. Yes. Luv me mom — but it’s the little things that make us crazy about each other. So I’ll buy my table and she’ll wrinkle her nose. Oh dear.
It’s funny Jack. I often think about my daughter and how she perceives my words. Oy vey for me when she gets her blog.
Eighty-one-year-old women don’t burn their bras. They unhinge their tongues.
I want this on a t-shirt!
Hmmm… So that’s how I will act one day? Not bad. It will be Emily’s taste that makes my nose wrinkle. Hopefully a long way off- still need my domineering husband, most days.
I broke out in a sweat on seeing that four-letter word: IKEA. But I persevered and am glad I did. This post is so funny, touching and poignant.
First, I’m SOOO jealous here: have never been to an IKEA! Second, this is such a great post that captures the feelings well of the adult child. “But as I typed that my breath got a bit quicker and blood pressure a bit wavier.” Boy do I know what you mean… and hope my daughter doesn’t feel this way about me… (p.s. good for your mom coming unleashed!)