Mothers & Daughters

I have been reading an excerpt from

_Are You Somebody_ by Nuala O'Faolain.

It is a memoir.

How is that for a title that grabs you?

She writes about parental influence...

her mother as a role model...

the damage inflicted by following

her mother's example..

Enough to give ye shivers down

the spine... So, for a good six

or seven hours I worried

the pitfalls of parental example.

And along about the third decrease

for the toe of the Easter bunny sock

I had a revelation... a bit of crone

wisdom one might say.

"Give it a rest!" the little knitter voice

in my head said. Your children have been 

the role models for years.

Don't you remember when Jenn said,

"Let's go to exercise class!"

And you said, "Exercise class, your kidding,"

but joined Gloria Stevens and exercised for years.

Or later, when the girls said,

"Ski down that bloody hill. 

Forty isn't old. Pick up your feet."

And of late: Mom-

"Knit a spiral scarf. Get out of the rut.

No more baby sweaters."

"Knit a Calorimetry,  jump up a needle

size. Live dangerously. Seventy isn't old."

So, with a sigh of relief

I am knitting right along...

almost to the toe.

And isn't it grand to have girls...

who know how to role model.