People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Mother's Day is coming up this Sunday. I started thinking how I had better get to the store and get my mom something, when interestingly we both were sitting watching a show one day together (which is interesting because it doesn't happen often). Will Smith was interviewed for Entertainment Tonight and he was discussing "The Red Table Talk." This is the new personal interview/documentary that his daughter and wife Willow Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and his mother-in-law Adrienne Banfield-Jones are releasing on Mother's Day.
"The Red Table Talk" sits the three generations of the family down around a red table for a very candid and open discussion about the family and their relationships. At one point Banfield-Jones pointedly admits that she was not a good mother to Jada.
My mom and I both "wowed" eachother wide eyed at that admission.
"That takes a lot of guts to admit that," I said.
"Even more to admit it on camera for the entire world to hear," she replied.
It got me thinking about my tumultuous relationship with my mother. We are not exactly the picture perfect idea of mother-daughter love and relationship. We have had a tough ride; and sadly, continue to have a tough ride. We both are really hard on each other and just don't really understand one another. We are not very much alike, so my personality frustrates her and vice-versa. We have a very hard time effectively communitcating with one another and typically do not see eye-to-eye about anything.
She has always been extremely private, too private sometimes. It drives me nuts. So watching that video, I knew nothing like that was in the future for us, not even if it meant only involving her, me and my daughter. It would never happen.
She had a very difficult childhood and her adult life hasn't exactly been peaches. Although, I am a very empathetic person, somehow my empathy falls short time and time again concerning my mother.
But it also got me to thinking about my relationship with my daughter (and son). I sat there thinking how my mother hasn't been exactly mother of the year time and time again; but have I? Am I nurturing, protecting, teaching, loving and guiding my children in the very best way that I can. How am I not? And how can I change that?
titawrites 