The Mother/Daughter relationship can be complex Lizbeth. I think there will always be a part in a daughter that resents her mother and a part in the mother that resents her daughters youth and energy. We see them as reflections of ourselves and when they fall short the mother’s ego is hurt. Colleen Mc Cullough describes its bitter/sweetness in the book The Thornbirds. It really brought it home to me when I read that book -my daughter was in her teens then-that in a way we are jealous of and disappointed at some level with our female offspring. The mother/son relationship is very different.
In general, these days I think we give our “kids” far to much. It is a mistake to expect anything in return because the more I look around me I see the next generation doing their own thing irrespective of their parents needs or wishes. I think Ican gave you sound advice. I think there is greater closeness in large families . The siblings seem to look out for each other more and collectively they look out for their aging parents. Small families , mine for one, take FAR more than they give. I wonder why?
I gambled for years Lizbeth to try to avoid looking a these issues but I’m slowing coming to realise that we are on our own so making provision for old age is vitally important as our energy and earning power decreases. Hold on to your savings Lizbeth. We never know when the rainy day will come. Keep your communication open with your daughters. I know if I didn’t do all the running, I would never hear from mine again. Sad but true!
