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Posts Tagged ‘mother daughter relationship’

The Trick of Boundaries and Rules with our Daughters

Monday, October 18th, 2010

By Guest Blogger  Susan Shapiro Barash

Susan with her two daughters, Jennie and Elizabeth

As I listened to the voices of a variety of mothers this past year and investigated why mothering daughters today seems more arduous, more difficult than ever, I couldn’t help but think of my own daughters and the pitfalls and rewards of raising them.  As they grew up – today they are 23 and 30– I often struggled with the ‘right’ answers to their requests.

Should I have allowed a curfew that made me worry for hours, just because my older daughter, at 15 pleaded with me and claimed that “all” her friends had the same late curfew?  Should I have said no when she wanted her ears pierced at eight, which felt too young and somehow not appropriate? Not only did I say yes to this, but when my younger daughter wanted her ears pierced at seven, I agreed, figuring that this daughter was immersed in a much slicker, faster world than her big sister, seven years older, had experienced.

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A Mother’s Day Tribute

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Sunday is Mother’s Day. This Mother’s Day 2010,  I am a Blogger for the first time, which means I can profess my love for my mom TO THE WORLD! Mama I love you. You have been my best friend for the past 35 years. In fact, I will show you now for the first time, in honor of Mother’s Day, my tribute to you and dad in my upcoming book:

“This book is dedicated to all the incredibly supportive people who have stood by me throughout my journey. You are my air, my breath, my reason for living. And there are many. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.

To my parents Rosalie and Gary, who have loved me unconditionally and with such intensity. You have instilled in me the value of hard work and integrity since my inception. You are my sounding board, my strength and my inspiration. We’re a small family, but we’re a good family. Words cannot express my love for the two biggest role models and mentors in my life.”

For some, Mother’s Day is a day to rejoice. For others, it’s a sad and difficult day, as many will celebrate this Mother’s Day without a mom. While still for other, it’s a dreaded day filled with tension and perhaps regret of what could have been. I was in Walmart buying cards for my mother and mother-in-law yesterday, and next to me, there was a beautiful woman in her 30′s also shopping for cards. We looked at each other and said, “Not a great selection, huh?” But then I found something really nice, and I said to her, “Hey, look at this one. It’s a nice one,” to which she replied, “Oh no, I can’t stand my mother.”

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