Motherly Me

I was talking with the Shrink the other day. The topic of me being "parental" came up. I was telling my mother about the conversation, saying "he thinks I'm being 'parental' with..." Then, Mother says to me.... "You've always been that way. When you and your brother were little, if we went out to eat somewhere and Chris needed ketsup, YOU got up to get it. If he needed ANYTHING, you got it for him. You were always looking out for him, and yourself." She went on to explain that the reason I might have been that way was because she wasn't always there for us. Maybe, but......

She goes on to say..."Even in junior high and high school, you were always watching out for him. You've always been this way. It's too bad you weren't there when he got talked into joining the ARMY." I told her that I never would have allowed him to go because he isn't strong enough for that kind of stuff. Unfortunately, I would have been right. Chris was sent home 3 weeks after joining. Mother said..."When he went off to college, he HAD to learn to take care of himself, but he still had [his wife] to lean on."

Here's the thing: I'm a powerhouse in my own mind. I either have the answers or I'll search for the answer. My friends come to me for advice, to "fix" their situation, to comfort them, to be a strength for them to lean on. It's all very interesting to see myself in that position. I always just thought I was a good friend, and nothing more.