Like Mother, Like Son

I imagine that most people might not appreciate or understand the humorous moments my youngest son and I share. This child (who is nearly a grown man) looks like his father's side of the family, occasionally he sounds like his father, has a mind and animated self expression akin to my own. There is no preferential treatment between my sons, they each bring immense happiness to my existence.

A good portion of my time as a mother has been attempting to retain some semblance of closeness to my oldest, despite the fact that he is quite a lot like I was at his age. I hadn't realized just how much my youngest was like me in some ways. It might seem somewhat egotistical to spend time comparing my sons' traits to my own, but in truth it's not about ego, it's about staying connected through those difficult teenage years.

There are times when I wonder exactly who it is that resides in this house with me, because, let's face it, teenage boys are as bizarre and foreign as an alien. It can't hurt to celebrate the little things like common ground, the same sense of humor, or arriving at the same conclusion to something at the same time. Two days from now I might be asking myself where my kids went and who has taken their place, it wouldn't hurt to have these bonding moments to focus on and remind myself that even at their most independent, they are still part of me.