Archive for the 'Mother-Daughter Dynamics' Category
By Charlene M Brown
My mommy gave me possibly the best birthday present she has ever given me: pumpkin pan-a-cake mix, a masher, cupcake mix, fantabulous hot cocoa mix and a rolling pin!
Now, it may be obvious that I have a thing for kitchen-ware, but it’s hard to describe how much joy these things have given me! No, really!
I LOVE pancakes! And the cocoa was some of the best I’ve ever tasted, and the cupcakes were just what I had been wanting! I can truly appreciate my mom these days.
It used to be that I greatly disliked when she did stuff like that, but now, I see their place.
And the rolling pin—I had to borrow hers to make pie crusts (which I will NEVER do again!) for Thanksgiving this year and last. Kitchen items really bring me a great amount of joy. No, really! I could be in kitchen stores for weeks straight before I realized I withered away into nothingness just from looking at all the pretty appliances.
The masher—coveted! An old friend stopped by recently and the masher was on my table—he asks, “What is that!?” “It’s a masher.” “What do you do with it!?” “You mash stuff, like mashed potatoes from scratch, eggs [which he doesn’t eat, and therefore my reference on that on was irrelevant] for egg salad, anything.” Mind you, I say all of these with a slightly crazy gleam in my eye as they glaze over thinking about all wonderful things I can now mash! (LOL!!!)
Next to music and words, good food is one of my most favorite and treasured things. And my mom and I have come to an understanding about it. Gone are the days of frivolous gifts that I only politely say thank you for, but have no real use for.
I have called my mom gushing about all of the above-mentioned food items. I told her today that she got an “A++++” for this gift as a whole. [and my sister got me this GREAT card—do you know about Hoops and Yoyo—they are HILARIOUS—okay, that had nothing to do with anything].
It is wholly possible that I am only writing this because I am still gushing over my most excellent birthday a few weeks ago. But that’s alright. I get to praise my mommy (and my girlfriends and my sister), enjoy good food and more “mom” moments, all in one!
And what can be better than that!?
Do You Love Your Life Now!? I DO (because my mommy loves me and buys me neato birthday presents!) 
PS Here is the link to birthday pics!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44792&id=1501285396&l=14c736624c
By Charlene M Brown
Sometimes the women closest to us are not our mothers, yet they’ve mothered us just the same.
They might be our best friend’s mom, an aunt, or maybe even a college professor or elementary school teacher. Whoever they are, they have provided some mothering at some point in our lives!
I work with teenagers and at some point many of them accidentally call me “Mom.” I mostly take this as a compliment (mostly! 
), glad that they view me positively. Coincidentally, I am often asking them to do something a second time (read, “nagging” them).
Perhaps you don’t get along so well with your mother so you’ve turned to other women for support and guidance. Or maybe you do have a good relationship with Mom, but just need an outside perspective.
Mothers, whoever they may be to you, are the backbone of most societies. In most cultures, women are the ones responsible for the running of the household, the raising of the children, the feeding of the family.
What would we do if not for these everyday acts of courage of doing what needs to be done to make sure the family is taken care of!?
We would perish!
No matter who your “mothers” are, make sure you tell them “Thank You! for being wonderful!” They need to hear that too, maybe more than everyone else.
Mother’s, whatever shape they come in, are pillars of strength and true beauty.
So go make that phone call, send that card, make that lunch appointment with the women you call mothers. Send them some roses or fresh made bread or a basket of fruit—do something to let them know you are thinking about them and grateful for their womanliness!
It doesn’t have to be a large gesture-just something so that they know you care.
Stevie Wonder’s song, “I Just Called To Say I Love You” always does the trick for me! Every time I hear that song, I get all warm and fuzzy and want to call everyone I know to say a big old “I Love You!” So go find that song and listen to it, then call all your mothers and let ‘em know how much you care!
Do You Love Your Life Now!? I Do! (Because I have been surrounded by women of beauty, strength, courage and grace who have all mothered me and I am grateful!)
By Charlene M Brown’
When I was 14, I was fiercely independent! This hasn’t changed a whole lot since then, but I have calmed down a great deal—now I am calm and fiercely independent, instead of the angry little girl that I once was. (That’s relative too!)
Recently, I took my mother to the zoo. She brought snacks, just as if we were little kids on a class trip to the zoo! My sister-in-law was there too and we both got a kick out of my mom’s snacks!
Let me backtrack a moment: When I was in high school, my mom was the “team mom” and after every game she had treats for us, no matter if we won or lost! And if she couldn’t make the game, she would send the bag with me so my team would know she was there in spirit!
I used to hate when my mother did this.
Now I realize that small things like that bring my mother a great amount of joy.
It delights my mother if she can bring me an unexpected Reese’s Cup because she knows it’s my favorite.
My mom takes great delight in simply mothering—it’s just what she does!
So instead of always getting annoyed that my mother smothered me, I have learned to be grateful for a few things from the experience: 1 that I have a mother; 2 that I have a mother who cares; and 3, most importantly, that in appreciating such a small gesture from my mother and saying thank you for it, I can bring my mom lots of delight.
People are giving by nature. Mothers tend to be really good at this. Part of their joy comes from giving, especially to their children (no matter how old—and wait ‘til the grandbabies start coming!). I was being selfish and narrow-minded by not appreciating this gesture. So now I try to appreciate it and others like it.
People take delight in giving. Let’s honor them by receiving with an open heart and spirit.
So thank you Mom, for bringing us snacks on our recent adventure to the zoo! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!
Do You Love Your Mom Now!? Yeeeaaaahhhh!
By Charlene M Brown
Do you have siblings? Whose your mom’s favorite child?
I bet you had an answer to that question!
By Charlene M Brown
When you were little, did you think your Mommy knew everything? No matter what compelling question you thought you had, Mommy had an
answer that made sense to you?
By Charlene M. Brown
By Charlene M. Brown
Did you have to move back in with Mom and Dad when you finished college? Was it because you didn’t quite secure that job, or you wanted to go back to school and needed to save your money? Or maybe it was because you just felt like you needed to get your bearings again. Whatever our reasoning, some of us somehow seem to end up back at our parents’ houses after we graduate from college. I was definitely a part of this group myself!
By Charlene M. Brown
“I can’t believe I just said that! I sound just like my mother!”
Have you ever said this to yourself? Take Heart—we all have at some point or another.