Turning Into My Mother Is A Good Thing
Start writing a post
Relationships

I'm Turning Into My Mom And I'm Pretty Damn Happy About It

Any comparison to my mom is taken as a compliment.

81
Abby Davis
Abby Davis

My mom is a Facebook Mom, but definitely not one of those Facebook Moms who posts minion, Monday, or wine memes – that is, if you can call them that. Those are a completely different breed.

See, my mom lurks. Not as if she's ever looking for anything, but for as often as I see her "Active," she leaves little to no trace of an online presence. I love and hate to expose her like this, but she just scrolls. Doesn't post. Doesn't interact. Keeps utilization of the platform's literal purpose – to connect – to the barest of minimums, if none at all.

And I know what you're thinking: Facebook is dead and has been for some time. But, listen, this is how she's always navigated it.

As you can likely tell from my dissection of such a trivial matter, the whole thing's pretty comical to me. I'll poke fun at her for it from time to time and she reassures me she's all caught up on who's where and what's when.

But, the way that I can laugh about such things and simultaneously experience a weird sort of self-deprecation in doing so has been utterly confusing to me. Picking on my mom, in a way, has always mimicked picking on myself, to which I came to a startling conclusion:

"Oh God, I'm turning into my mom."

This trope has felt familiar to me before I noticed how apparent it was in my own life. I'm almost certain every 20-something woman has the same sudden and horrid realization with the same exact phrasing. It's been milked in media, from sitcoms to those crappy chick flicks that are still fun to watch and probably to even an episode of "Sex and the City." I mean, you've heard almost everyone one of your older friends, your aunts, and even your sister say it.

It was only a matter of time before it spread to me too.

Back to what triggered this realization in the first place – once I realized that I had picked up this habit of being a "bystander," if you will, it made me overly aware of how often I've been doing it.

Maybe it's because I'm in more group chats than I can count on both hands, but I am almost virtually silent in most of them. Sure, the dynamic will change within each and every chat, tweaking my comfortability with contributing to the conversation in the first place, with what frequency, and in what tone. These are things I could dissect and they would really only be indicative of my relationship with each member, but I've chosen to keep my eye on this general trend: staying relatively withdrawn. Yes, I see everything. Sometimes I just feel like keeping my two-cents. And with this parallel drawn, I stopped interpreting my mom's Facebook scrolling as a bad thing, even if it was only ever in a kidding way.

As for keeping to myself, maybe it's a learned trait considering I wasn't always so withdrawn. Perhaps its a virtual manifestation of my newfound introversion. Maybe it's genetic. Or maybe – actually probably – I'm just reading way too into things.

Whatever the case may be, this similarity of many between my mother and me helped me to understand both of us a little better. Why she does the things she does. Why I am the way I am.

Association with my mother in this way, even something this insignificant in our lives, makes me appreciate the good things she has passed on to me.

Creativity. Patience. Compassion. So, you know what? I am turning into my mom, and I'm pretty damn happy about it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

84776
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

51032
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

986271
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments