Sane parents

This post is one I have often thought about, so it's not strictly for Mother's Day, but it is appropriate. It's almost a Thanksgiving-appropriate post.

I feel like I've been pretty successful in life. And I think that's because I was born privileged. And I was privileged because of who my parents are.

A few years ago, I saw a post on Facebook of a young girl saying something like "I have the best mom in the world, and she doesn't know it." As I thought about all the mothers I know, I realized her mom is the worst mom I know. I know there are worse ones out there, but I don't know them personally. Everyone loves their own mother. I'm not going to engage in any sappy hyperbole: my mom is not the best mom in the world. I know that sounds like an understatement where I'm emphasizing her shortcomings, but that's not what I mean at all. I literally mean she's not the best mother, because who is? But when I look at the families other people have, I'm glad I got the one I did.

Occasionally when I have had the opportunity of being home during the day, I have turned on daytime court shows. I see the totally dysfunctional families in those shows, where they fight over dumb things, or get involved in criminal activities, and I feel so grateful that didn't happen to me.

Some mothers are enablers, and their children are abusive toward them, or are crazy lazy. My mother would never put up with such a thing. When I was six years old, at one point I said I wanted to be a bum when I grew up and live in the basement. While that's a funny, quaint thing for a child to say, she did have to tell me she wouldn't really let me do that. If any of us kids were sitting on the couch all day watching TV and playing video games, she would not have any of that. She would make us get a job or move out.

Some parents have no idea how to parent. They yell at their kids all the time but never actually discipline them or follow through with their empty threats. When their children make messes at other people's houses, they don't offer to clean up or apologize. I'm glad I don't have that mom.

In the lottery of parents, I got pretty darn lucky.