I grew up with two working parents. My mom, in my mind, is supermom.
She would wake up before everybody else, make breakfast and prepare lunch every morning, go to work, buy groceries, get home last, cook dinner, clean, help us with homework AND play with us.
I really didn't need Sheryl Sandberg to tell me that (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders.html)
But it's a good reminder.
I assume that since she did that for 19 years (that's how long our parents had kids in the house), every time I visit them or they visit me, my sister and I revert back to being teens again. I would try hard to help cook and clean but she'll yell at me to get out of the kitchen and go play.
I HAD felt extreme guilt during college years when my mom would cook and clean for me, but my sister would just eat it up. I used to think she was a bitch for letting mom "work" for us, but my sis would just say "she wants to do it, so let her!"
Then, when my sister and I started living together in NYC, she started doing all the groceries, cooking and some of the cleaning (I did some too!) - I felt guilty, but she seemed to enjoy cooking for me and our friends so much, and she verbalized it, so I figured it was ok. But I never really understood the allure of hosting, cooking and being maternal...
Then, I moved. I now live alone so I need to cook for myself constantly. I now also have a place where I can invite people over, so I do! I happily cook for my friends and have no issues cleaning up either.
I was complaining to my friend how my mom won't stop working for me, while she's visiting me on vacation. She's cooking, cleaning, sweeping, mopping - she just won't sit and chill.
He said, that's just like you!
I guess I am like that now...
So with that, I will happily guilt-freely eat everything my mom cooks, sit back while she cleans and lie down comfortably while she gives me a back massage.
I love you tiger mom
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