Everything in Life I've Learned from...My Mom.

Ask a first born daughter what her relationship with her mother is like, and if honest with you, she'll reply with a bit of a harumph.  We're notoriously stubborn, and if you've been following my xanga these past months you know that I don't take too kindly to being told what to do.

That said, today's outing with my mom should have been rather predictable.  She was at some point going to annoy me, and I inevitably would overreact.  It didn't take too long for me to get annoyed.  After a stroll through Nordstrom's and Crate and Barrel, I decided I wanted to get some coffee.  My mother, being the Chinese mom that she is, right away spotted the $.25 for drip coffee and announced she would get a cup (she's not much of a coffee drinker).  I went for my trusty Almond Mocha.  When we got our drinks, I poured some half and half in her cup and she proceeded to add sugar.  I informed her that it would take a number of sugars to get it just right, but she insisted that she'd be okay with just two.  She clumsily inserted the sugar packs, and I let out a sigh.  After sipping a few sips she declared that her drink was too bitter.  She proceeded to return her cup to the people at the counter.  That got me annoyed.

Now you may think, how minor...why would Sherise get annoyed?  Don't ask, I just do when it comes to my mom.  Sometimes I unearth past bitterness which adds to my fury.  I always manage to hurt my mom somehow when I'm mad, too.  Today was no exception.  It was not until our stop in Ann Taylor that we seemed to forget the previous incident and went on to complimenting each other as we modeled open-toed shoes and fashionable skirts of the season.  Healing comes from shopping.

Shopping can do wonders, but it takes grace to really heal.  Afterwards we had dinner at Max's Opera Cafe and not long after we had been there, my mom announced that she was going to cry.  Oh no, then my tear ducts are going to go, too!  She's a bit emotional about me leaving, and she informed that she would always remember this special "outing" that we had embarked on (it was only to Stanford Shopping Mall--not too far away, but still, we don't do this often and she took time off to specifically spend with me).  Even though we fought I asked?  Even though we fought. 

I do love my mom, even though she manages to unearth the ugliest sides out of me.  She's taught me some pretty solid things, a lot of which verge on the humorous, but that's more reason for which I love her.  Here are some lessons learned:

* Always use two toilet seat covers for extra insurance.
* Cover your nose and mouth when walking by a smoker.  It's not rude.
* Carry alcohol pads with you.  Handy for disinfecting everything.  Most useful in restaurants.
* Don't yawn without covering your mouth.
* Don't burp so loud.  No one will ask you out on dates.
* Pace around the train platform like a bobcat stalking its prey.  This insures your readiness when the train doors open.
* Don't eat hot and cold items together (i.e, hot soup and an ice cold soda). Bad for the teeth.
* Don't put your laptop on your lap.  Radiation.
* Don't smile too big.  It's not very graceful.
* Let the guys carry stuff for you. Don't be so stubborn.

Did I mention I love my mom?