Tales of a coffee-holic: Cut moms some slack

I think we place a little too much pressure on our mothers to be perfect.

Especially as children, we look to our moms as a source of not only basic care so we can survive into adulthood, but also to nurture every facet of our being so we can grow into well rounded, successful individuals. As children we expect the world from our mothers. They can make everything better with a kiss and are the main source of comfort to our small lives.

And even though our mothers obviously brought this burden upon themselves, that’s a lot of pressure to put on one person.

Even as adults, we are pretty judgmental of mothers, whether we have children ourselves or not. I’m always reading articles about what mothers should and shouldn’t do. Mothers are constantly getting advice about what they should never do and what they should always do, what they should be feeding their children, reading to their children and doing with their children.

Of course most parents care for their kids as best they can. We certainly don’t want to damage our children or leave them without the care that they need. We should also acknowledge that the responsibility of molding a small person from birth to adulthood is an enormous task.

Some adults might blame their mom for their own inadequacies or for things their parents did not provide for them. I think we should cut them some slack.

If you made it to adulthood without being severely shocked because your parents didn’t have covers on the electrical outlets, if you weren’t left alone with loaded guns or large piles of cocaine as a child, your parents were both probably doing the best that they could.

Although I don’t really believe being a mother is the hardest job in the world—I mean defusing bombs in war zones or being part of Kim Jong Un’s cabinet off the top of my head seem a bit more stressful—I do think it is an extremely difficult, stress filled job that at this point in my life, I’m not too sure I’m capable of.

Even though my mother and I might have had some rough moments when I was growing up, now I really miss hanging out with my mom and look forward to phone conversations with her after a long day.

I credit both my parents for teaching me to become an independent adult who’s capable of caring for herself. Sadly, I’ve met quite a few people my age who do not possess the same skills.

I’m sure most of our parents tried their best to raise us, even if they failed in some areas. So show some appreciation and be kind to your mother this weekend. Raising a child is a long process and no one is perfect. We all mess up sometimes and that’s OK. Even if your mom dropped you on your head as a baby, if you can still read this you must be doing alright.