Mommy Dearest

I had a conversation with a friend the other day that reminded me about the power of motherhood. People say, with such lightness (and sometimes condescension), all the time, "Oh, yes, being a mom is the most important 'job' in the world." As humans, we are programmed to imitate our parents, specifically that of the same sex. This relentless imitation behavior is imprinted upon us for survival, and so it's understandable. And, after all, we love our parents, almost no matter how they treated us. If we're attached securely, we think them the greatest humans in the world; if we aren't attached to our parents, we still have an inner longing to please and, therefore, attach as our continuum continues to demand. Sometimes it's near impossible to avoid imitating our mothers, even if we want to, and sometimes it's just flat not worth the effort. Sometimes it is, though. The trick is to pick your internal battles.