Cats and Stereotypes

So as I mentioned.. I moved yesturday. And as some of you may already know, I moved in with Mom and Dad in order to save money for my move to Mexico. I know how it sounds, 35 year old man moving in with his parents, but my parents and I have always been close and more like friends than family anyway, so I think this is going to work out just fine.

Mom and Dad have Siamese cats. Two of them.. They dote on them. A little too much. I have been hearing them talking to the cats as I move in.. "Sammy, Jasmine.. It's ok.. I know this is upsetting you!! Awwww!"
And "What is your brother (that would be me) doing in there?? All those boxes!! Better go check it out!" And... "Ooooh... Look Sammy, your brother STEEEEVIE is moving home."

And Mom: "The only thing I am worried about is the closed door to your room.. You know, that WAS Sammy's room.. I am afraid she'll get upset by the closed door."

Me: "She'll get over it."

Mom: "Well... We'll see.. I just bet you two are going to be the BEST of friends."

Me: "Goody."

I am more of a dog person. Though I have to admit, Sammy is a cool cat. Jasmine is afraid of everything and lives in the closet being neurotic.. So she and I will most likely never see eachother. But I just KNOW that when I was out last night, mom took Sammy into my room so the cat could "Check it out".

As for the Toy boxes... Worked out perectly. I loaded them into my car yesturday morning before Dad showed up with the trailer. Then it just worked out that he took the trailer back when I was ready to unload my car.. Mom went to the bathroom and I just brought them in and stuck 'em in the closet. No problem... HOWEVER.. when we went to unload my storage closet at the old house, I TOTALLY forgot about the portable sling/suspension stand in there...

Dad: "What's that?"

Me: (Panicking)"What are you senile, Dad?? Those are my golf clubs.. you GAVE Them to me, rememeber?"

Dad: "Very funny.. I meant THAT behind the golf clubs.. The black metal pieces."

Me: " Oh... THAT... That's ummm.. Luis' and it's a stand for a punching bag." (Sorry, baby.. But you know the rule.. BLAME THE BOY.")

Dad: "Looks like an awfully big stand."

Me: "Yup."

Dad: "Luis likes punching bags, huh?"

Me: (And YES.. I am ashamed of this..)"Well.. you know Mexicans and boxing.."

My friend David, who was helping me move, spit out his water at that point...

David: " Oops.. choked..."

Then he made jokes about punching bags for the rest of the day.. Ok. So I'm a Loser.

Mother's day.

On this day we celebrate motherhood. We thank our mothers for all that they sacraficed to raise us into the people we are today. We celebrate the selflessness of the mother. We celebrate the archtype of the mother. We cook meals, do chores and pamper Mom for this special day.

Perhaps I am being cynical. Perhaps I am ruining the spirit of this day, but I can't help but see it as kind of insulting. We cook for her, we do her chores, we pamper her.. For this ONE special day. JUST the idea of that assumes that we expect her to fit this role every other day of the year.

The issue of Motherhood raises such strong and varied emotions in us. Whatever we feel towards our mothers, we feel it full strength. Love, Anger, resentment, whatever. It is ingrained in us how our mothers sacrafice for us. How the bond of motherhood transcends any other bond between two people. Instead of us seeing this as a wonderous miracle, we take it for granted. We judge mothers who do not fit this self sacraficing ideal, who choose to exist for something ALONG with the family, instead of soley for the family.

We need people in this world who buck the norm and make change. We celebrate them. We honor them. As long as they are not mothers who have chosen those paths.

The woman who gave birth to me gave me up for adoption when I was born. I love the woman who raised me. SHE is my mother. I have never felt abandoned, or "Given up" like some of my adopted friends. I think I understand why now. I hope it is because the woman who gave birth to me chose to make change. I hope her path was so strong for her that she chose it over motherhood, knowing I would be safe. Knowing that the world is full of mothers who just need a chance, and lacking in visionaries who choose to take chances.

So from now on, for my mother.. I don't want to ask her if I can "Take over her duties" for a day. I want to ask her how I can help her be everything she wants to be. Because she owes me no sacrafices. And the world may need her more than I.