Friday, December 11, 2009

The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

My mom thinks I'm the most stubborn person in the world. She also uses other nice adjectives like "pig-headed" - she's so good to me . . . Anyway, I try to point out to her that the only reason she thinks that is that I resist HER stubborn efforts to make me do something I don't want or need to do. In fact, if you want to know the truth, she is MUCH more stubborn than I.

Allow me to present my case . . .

Exhibit A:
This is a typical conversation that we might have:

Mom: What're you doing?
Me: Just figuring out what I'm going to make for my party. I'm looking at some recipes and trying to decide which ones to try.
Mom: You should just go buy some stuff so that you don't have to make anything.
Me: Well, I want to make something myself.
Mom: You should just go order a Chick-Fil-A tray or something.
Me: Well, I have some recipes I've been putting aside and I really wanted to try them so I'm actually looking forward to making them.
Mom: You know, I was at Randall's the other day and they had a BEAUTIFUL fruit tray that you could buy. Just do that.
Me: No, I think I'm just gonna make this recipe - it looks really good and I've been wanting to try it out.
Mom: You're so stubborn.

I never quite understand why I - the one who was sitting there innocently when the onslaught began - ended up being the "stubborn" one.

Exhibit B:
Last Christmas, she and I were out Christmas shopping for my sisters. We were in Sur La Table (which, for those of you don't know, is a kitchen store) and we were looking at some different things that my sisters had wanted. She also wanted me to point out things that I wanted so that she could keep them in mind in case my sisters needed any ideas on what to get me. We were over by the silverware organizers/trays and we had this conversation:

Me: [picking up a stainless steel one] I like this stainless steel one. If anyone wants to get me this, I would LOVE it.
Mom: Really?? What about this this one? [showing me a white plastic one with rubber grips on the bottom]
Me: No, I really want the stainless one.
Mom: But this one is expandable . . .
Me: So is this one. See? [pointing out big word "EXPANDABLE"]
Mom: I think you'd like this one better.
Me: No, I really want this one. It's nicer looking and it would be easier to keep clean.
Mom: I think your silverware will fall out of that one.
Me: I don't think it will. I think it will be perfect.
Mom: Are you sure? I really think you'd like the plastic one better. It has rubber grips so it won't slide around.
Me: No, I'm sure. I want the stainless one.
Mom: You're so stubborn.

That Christmas Eve, my sister Erin handed me a present and said "I hope you like it. Mom pointed it out for me and said you really wanted it." I tore the wrapping paper off and I'LL BE A SON OF A GUN if it wasn't that white plastic organizer. I just started cracking up. Which, in retrospect, was not a very nice way to react to my sister's present. When I was finally able to tell everyone what was so funny, my sister started laughing and my mom - who had HONESTLY remembered the above conversation differently - had to laugh at herself. She wasn't trying to intentionally ignore what I wanted, she just had convinced herself that I really wanted the white one. God love her - she just gets an idea that I will like something and nothing I say will convince her otherwise.

BECAUSE SHE IS STUBBORN.

Exhibit C:
The other day, we were out looking at Christmas decorations and we kept passing these white ceramic Christmas trees that had glittery snow on them. Every time - and I mean EVERY time - we walked past them, we had this conversation:

Mom: I think these are beautiful. What about these for your house?
Me: Well, they're very pretty. And I can appreciate them in someone else's house - just not mine.
Mom: REALLY??
Me: Yeah. They're not my style.
Mom: Well, I think they're just beautiful.
Me: Yeah. They are. But I don't think they're for me.
Mom: You're so stubborn.

So yesterday, my mom and her neighbor Stephanie (who is a talented decorator on the side) came over to my house to take my Christmas decorations up a notch. I had to stay upstairs while they were doing it so that it would be a surprise. When it was time for me to come down, I had to walk down the stairs with my head down and then close my eyes in my foyer until they told me I could look. When I opened my eyes, I looked at my buffet and I'LL BE A SON OF A GUN if those white Christmas trees weren't sitting on my buffet! Hilarious. So when I mentioned later that I wasn't sure I liked the little Christmas trees (translation: I don't want them in my house), my mom said - with genuine surprise - "REALLY?? Those are the ones you liked!!" So, through my laughter, I reiterated our conversation that we'd had and she, again, had to laugh at herself. She wasn't trying to get her own way - she just had convinced herself that I loved the trees as much as she did. So she just remembered the conversation differently.

BECAUSE SHE IS STUBBORN.

I rest my case.

But I am certainly able to admit that I inherited this trait from her. I mean, even after her many valiant efforts . . . I DO have a stainless steel silverware organizer, I do NOT have any ceramic white Christmas trees on my buffet now, and I have to end my blog now so that I can get some sleep and get up in time to make a bunch of food for my office Christmas party.

So I rest my mom's case for her, too.

1 comments:

Emma said...

I am CRACKING up about the dadgum ceramic trees!! Too funny!