"I hope one day you have a daughter just like you." I remember my mother saying this to me on more then one occasion. It was always said right before or after I had gotten punished for misbehaving, which wasn't often because, well, I was a perfect child.
When you are a child, teenager, or young adult there are things you swear you will not do or say when you have your own children. This usually consists of a laundry list of things that your parents did and said to you. I had a list just like this. I was not going to pick out my child's clothing and force her wear the outifts I want her to wear. I was not going to say my mother's favorite catch phrases, such as, "I have had it up to here", "Because I said so", or "While you are living in my house, you will obey my rules." I was going to have more patience then my mother had and be more understanding then my mother was. Growing up I was positive that my mother was the only mother who did any of these things and often wondered what I had done to have drawn the short straw.
Then I became a mother.
All of a sudden all of these things that my mother had done made total sense. One of my favorite things to do is dress my daughter in cute outfits and I am sure that that is not going to change in the near future. Although my daughter is a little young right now to really utilize those famous catch phrases, I can feel them on the tip of my tongue.
After all those years of thinking that my mother was so unfair, impatient, and just didn't understand I now realize that she knew exactly what she was doing. She has guided me through life and allowed me to become the person and mother that I am. I guess that saying "You will understand when you're older" really is true.
