Thursday, February 28, 2008

Becoming my ma

I BLOGGED before about the psychic moments between Nanny and me during her stay with me. But I am slowly and surely coming to the realisation that I am becoming my Ma.

The psychic moments are coming fast and furious now, I wouldn’t be able to mention them all here, but they range from me thinking ‘I’ll phone home’ then Nanny calls me to asking about random people only to have Nanny look at me strangely saying ‘get out of my head’.

Speaking of phone calls I phoned home the other evening and due to some technical clitch I couldn’t hear anything at the other end. So I repeated ‘hello’ and my Mum said ‘hello’ back. I then said ‘hiya hows it going’ and strangely Nanny said exactly the same thing back to me. I was somewhat confused for a spilt second before I realised that I had that echo thing going on with the line and I was actually only hearing myself. I am my Mum’s voice doppelganger.

The other evening some nifty music came on the telly and I realised that both Nanny and I were shimmying our shoulders in time, I quickly stopped. I am my Ma – it would appear the metamorphism is complete.

And of course at times I find myself repeating the things she said to me when I was a kid, ‘do as I say not as I do’ or ‘EXCUSE me’ when the Young Wan is being cheeky. The ‘excuse me’ is more about the tone than the words, there are more but I am just drawing a blank right now trying to remember them.

So while all this was more than a little unsettling I thought about it some more. My Ma is gorgeous and looks brilliant for nearly being a pensioner (in-joke), she is a good looking woman who regularly gets chatted up. I can only hope that when I am nearly a pensioner I look half as good or indeed have half as much energy and joie de vivre as her.

In addition I hope that I will inherit her sense of and ability to have fun. I also hope that at her age I would think nothing of moving to another country and culture. When I am her age I also hope she will still be able to cut my hair. Having a hairdresser in the family spoils you for coiffing. The fact that she is a brilliant hairdresser also has something to do with it.

This is something the Young Wan will have to deal with in time. While I am turning into my Ma, she will turn into me… And will probably make for a better likeness considering we are both redheads and my Ma (Nanny to you) is a blonde. So if you are heading to the Irish Blog Awards on Saturday evening you may find it hard to tell us all apart.

Anyway Happy Mothers’ Day Mum and all other mothers out there and Young Wan you better be getting us both something lovely, a cup of tea in bed won’t cut it this year ;)

EDIT: February 29th to enter Eamon's competition at Flowers Made Easy.

3 comments:

Alan in Belfast (Alan Meban) said...

As long as you don't develop your Mum's technique for crashing technology! A kind of extra-perceptory EMP!

Red Mum said...

LOL@ Alan I know! That would be all I need.

stwidgie said...

I hear you, Red Mum; I've been told how much I'm like my mother my whole life. (Fortunately, I don't mind it.) Similar looks, same voice, and I hope that I share the same genes that your mom apparently has - getting chatted up at any age sums up her experience neatly.
That's been one of the hard things about losing her. I've spent my whole life securely being like her, and being able to chat with each other and mirror back. Now I have to go on being me without her. We've lost the original.
So happy Mother's day to you both. I hope you keep on enjoying your connection, and that Young Wan will take pride in that, too.