My mother and I don't always agree on things but I have never doubted her devotion and love for my kids.
We're both alpha control freaks, which means we butt heads on any number of issues. Neither of us is particularly good at compromise.
However, I was watching some Babylon 5 and the writer, JMS, has always been fantastic at recognizing the rich depths of the parent-child relationship. How it can encompass both frustration and love in equal measure.
No one can infuriate you like a parent. In some ways, I don't think people ever lose that unconscious hope and expectation that their parents are omniscient and omnipotent. When you are a child, it's true. Your parents can do and be and accomplish anything. As you get older, we start to recognize them as individuals, flawed and with limitations.
But it doesn't change the other side of the coin.
I love my mom (Dad too, but I'm keeping my focus for this post). I respect her opinions. I'm in awe of how she has wrestled the world into agreeing with her about the importance of early intervention. She created a charity, Quickstart, when everyone else just accepted the status quo.
I cannot remember which comic writer said this but the true mark of a hero is someone who does not accept the world as it is. Instead, they see the world as it could be and take the steps to make it happen, no matter the personal cost.
I may not always agree with you, Mom, and I know you don't always agree with my choices, either. But we can accept each other as the people we are and, personally, I think those people are both impressive.
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