Dear Maggie Montclair,
Mother's Day has come and gone, and I'm still feeling sad. I just can't figure out what I did wrong. You see, I received another beautiful card from my son. And, again this year, it was in my daughter-in-laws hand writing. I'll bet that she not only signed the card, but purchased it and mailed it when she sent one to her own mother.
Isn't my son capable of even signing a card to me? I use to be so proud of him, but now I wish I'd had a daughter instead. That old adage 'a son is your son till he takes a wife, but a daughter is your daughter all of your life' must be true. Is it because we do too much for our sons, and then they expect their wives to continue taking care of them and their personal obligations? Do they think that work they get paid for is the only important thing they do?
I don't expect things to change, but I do feel better for telling someone.
Wish I had a daughter
Dear Wishing,
I'm not defending him, but I have heard from mothers of daughters with similar situations. It's not the gender, it's the personality and the maturity of the individual. Fortunately, most of our sons and daughters are grateful for the upbringing we gave them. They, especially when they have children, realize the effort and love that went into raising them to adulthood. Maybe he will 'grow up' before you die and send you a card with a personal 'thank you for being my mother.' M
P.S. Gertie's brother's neighbor's uncle has a daughter who receives a 'thank you' card each year on her son's birthday. This card comes to her from her daughter-in-law because she thinks she has the best husband in the world, and she wants to thank her mother-in-law for raising him. That is one smart woman! She has a mother-in-law who loves her dearly and a way to acknowledge her husbands strong points. Nothing makes one try even harder than being honestly appreciated.
