23 ms·

Tell HN: Call Mom

• mooneater 7y ago
  I was 22, that was the last mothers day my mother was alive for. Of course I didn't know at the time, but I didn't call. Im 44 now and its one of my biggest regrets. Dont be like me. Call her.
  • ryeguy_24 7y ago
    Thank you for sharing this.
  • 300bps 7y ago
    My mom died young almost 17 years ago. I don’t have any regrets about not being close enough to her, I had dinner at my parents’ house once per week and spoke to her frequently. I wish I would’ve encouraged her more to stop smoking and maybe not go to the crappy suburban hospital she was insisting on going to. That’s probably my only regret with the whole thing.
    • mooneater 7y ago
      Glad to hear you were close. Smoking is very hard to quit, it was not your fault.
  • WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
    I was 21. My mom was in a permanent state of postoperative delirium and I was nursing her into her last days. It was just the two of us & I wasn't up to the task. I doubt I knew it was Mother's day. A few weeks earlier: My older siblings and I sent a bright, aware, career budget analyst into cancer surgery. The hospital returned a woman who no longer recognized us or even where she was. We were sent home and some home health aides helped us get her settled & setup care routines. After some time my sister went back to her life (she & mom didn't get on). Then my brother drove back to his home two states away and it was just me and mom & feeding her & helping to the bathroom & cleaning up when she didn't make it. Some days or weeks later, I had a phone call w/ mom's sister and that aunt drove down & took over whatever it was I handed to her. As a guy who struggles to keep the dishes washed, I imagine it wasn't great. The last few months of mom's life proceeded in a more orderly manner. Mom turned 64. I turned 22 & three weeks later she died. In case anyone is tempted to lionize the kid in the above picture, let me complete the picture. If I could have slipped away and let someone take point, I would have. In this thing, my siblings & I were my dad's kids (tho he was gone & dead, many years). As I was living with mom already, I was the one left holding the colostomy bag. So I wasn't really responsible but I was lucky. Taking care of an ailing parent for 6 months can be a privilege (as opposed to, say, 6 years). I'm grateful to have escaped the guilt that I suspect my siblings have. I also learned I might not be terrible at other big life challenges, like being a parent (I was anyway but not forever). However, for anyone beating themselves up this Mother's Day, let it go. We are what we are until we aren't & the weightiest factor that changes that are the circumstances beyond our control. 'Will' is critical but I've found it's a poor tool for making deep, lasting, healthy changes - unless supportive environments are also present.
    • istorical 7y ago
      I think you should be proud of the dignity you gave her. No one can stop death but we can give dignity to people we love or feel gratitude towards, and it sounds like whatever job you did, no matter how good or bad the fact that you were there gave her dignity at the end of her life.
    • scruple 7y ago
      I don't want to lionize you, but I think you shouldn't sell yourself short. You were thrust into an incredibly difficult situation that very few understand and did what you had to do to make the best of it against insurmountable odds. You should be proud in the knowledge that when push comes to shove you can do what's required, that's much more than most can say for themselves.
    • mirimir 7y ago
      You did right by her, so hey! Details aside (because OPSEC) I'll be dealing with something like that for (ideally) years. With luck, perhaps for the rest of my life. It is quite the privilege, as difficult as it may be sometimes. And we have many friends to share the work. Which is fortunate, because I'd otherwise be overwhelmed.
  • deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  • InafuSabi 7y ago
    Regrets are hard. No one knows how yours feel and getting over them is almost impossible. Sending you some Universal Love
    • mooneater 7y ago
      Thank you for your kindness, friendly stranger ^_^
  • serf 7y ago
    I know this wasn't the intent of the thread, and I appreciate what the intent was; but my mother died on Mother's Day about five years ago, and I had totally escaped/forgotten that today was Mother's Day in the United States until I read this thread topic. I guess due to all the COVID-19 news I somehow escaped the usual media barrage of Mothers' Day fanfare that is usually on the television/radio/net. While I was never distant with my mother, and we had a friendly/healthy rapport, I still regret not being able to call her now. I called her when I should, and generally treated her well -- but not being able to call and talk to her any day, but most especially today, is still a regret. Whenever a project goes well, or I unexpectedly did better at something, or something fantastic or terrible happens to me -- there's a moment still , internally, where I think to myself "I can't wait to tell her.", usually followed by sadness during the realization that my idea is fantasy, she's long gone and I had forgotten in that brief part of time. So, I share your sentiment for those out there that shared the same kind of relationship with their mother that I got to experience -- call your mom. One day you won't have the option to do so, and it's tough once you're unable to fulfill that desire.
    • mooneater 7y ago
      Im sorry for your loss, and I can relate to wishing to share things with my Mom, she was a great listener. I try to explain that to my sons when they ignore their Mom, that one day she won't be there, but its very hard for teens to imagine.
  • tasuki 7y ago
    Good advice, and please don't be too harsh on yourself for having forgotten to call. She would've forgiven you many times over.
    • mooneater 7y ago
      You are right that she would forgive. Yet we can make it harder to forgive ourselves. I will try to stay conscious of this. Thank you for your kind comment.
  • movedx 7y ago
    Are you OK? If you want to talk further I can be available via Discord, Teams, mobile, whatever...
    • mooneater 7y ago
      Thank you, you are very kind. Im doing pretty well and have supportive friends and family. Are you a counsellor or generally like helping people through issues? I've always felt like I wanted to do that, though I'm not sure I have the right skills.
      • movedx 7y ago
        I'm just some bloke in Australia lol I just wanted to make sure you had someone, anyone, in case the opposite was true. Glad you have a support network my friend. Good luck.
• popotamonga 7y ago
  Is it a cultural thing Americans are so detached? Its usual here to call your family 2 to 4 times a week
  • deleted 7y ago
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  • dorkwood 7y ago
    Where are you?
    • popotamonga 7y ago
      portugal
  • serkandurusoy 7y ago
    Where are you? I am 43, Turkish, call mom twice a week and feel bad about it because it's not nearly enough.
  • 101008 7y ago
    I was going to ask the same. In some countries, Mother's Day is so important that you organize it a few days before, you meet for lunch (or dinner), and you buy a present (like another birthday). Of cousre, during this pandemic we cannot meet, but are there some people who don't call?
  • gambiting 7y ago
    I call my mum nearly every day. I'm Polish but I live abroad. Also Mother's day is on the 26th of May for us.
  • liquidise 7y ago
    It’s highly dependent on the family. I call/FaceTime family weekly while friends, who have good relationships with their family, call maybe once a quarter. Anecdotally, my international friends on average put family calls in a higher regard than my American friends.
• thewebcount 7y ago
  If your mother is a kind person whom you love, then by all means reach out and tell her. To others like me who may have a gaslighting c* * * of a mother, don't be bullied by societal norms into feeling like a bad person just because you don't want to connect with an abuser. It's perfectly fine to not call your mother on mother's day if you don't have the kind of relationship that will benefit from it.
  • yoav 7y ago
    100%, thank you for voicing this.
  • op00to 7y ago
    Mine died a few years ago and my life is better for it.
  • chrisseaton 7y ago
    > It's especially important to call important people in your life today Right - boggles my mind that people think they should be telling anyone to call anyone on a site like this. (Not a comment on my mother - just the idea that everyone has the same relationships as you do and should do things the way you do them.)
    • rubber_duck 7y ago
      >boggles my mind that people think they should be telling anyone to call anyone on a site like this. It's a nice reminder, don't see the OP post as "reconnect with your abusive parent" more like "today might be a good day to call your mother"
      • chrisseaton 7y ago
        Maybe I'm sensitive, but it comes across as judgemental. 'Call mom' - I can almost feel the condescending do-gooder smile from here.
        • 7y ago
• speedgoose 7y ago
  Check first if it applies for your mom. Many but not all countries celebrate it today. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day
  • jakelazaroff 7y ago
    You can call your mom even if it’s not a special occasion :)
  • bigdict 7y ago
    If you are on the phone already when you realize it doesn't apply, just say "Sorry mom, you are not eligible today" and hang up immediately.
    • speedgoose 7y ago
      And forget her next mother day.
  • xboxnolifes 7y ago
    I would think someone would know if their mom celebrates mother's day unless they have known them for less than a year.
• abinaya_rl 7y ago
  Usually, I'll call my mom weekly 3-4 times. Even if we live separately we kinda feel like living together by sharing the events.
• deleted 7y ago
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• greggturkington 7y ago
  She's dead. I needed another reminder today, thanks. On a tech site.
  • deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  • dvtrn 7y ago
    I am sorry for your loss and the pain you’re having conjured up today.
  • deleted 7y ago
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• rohanaed 7y ago
  That's a good tell HN topic.I am from India , and I called my mom in morning.
• throwaway9482 7y ago
  You think you’re being kind and polite but you’re being condescending and rude
  • rootusrootus 7y ago
    No. Intent matters. Whether you are offended is your problem. Hit the "hide" button on the post and move on.
  • diegoperini 7y ago
    I don't understand.
• MattGaiser 7y ago
  Is there an Uber for Mother's Day app yet?
  • binaryblitz 7y ago
    Favor? haha
• helpmesee123 7y ago
  Can someone please help me understand? I feel such a strong aversion to acknowledge almost every holiday, especially marketing-driven ones like Mother’s Day. Frankly saying “happy Mother’s Day” feels like I’m defiling myself and mindlessly buying into propaganda. Isn’t it enough to treat mothers/fathers/etc well on a regular basis? Doesn’t that mean more than a call/card once a year? I don’t want to be this way. Help me.
  • jshevek 7y ago
    How does your mother feel about it? I respect your inclination to reject marketing driven social manipulation, but if it's important to your mother, that might be an reason to set aside this viewpoint. You would be doing it for you mom, not for Hallmark.
  • luckylion 7y ago
    > Frankly saying “happy Mother’s Day” feels like I’m defiling myself and mindlessly buying into propaganda. It's not about you, it's about her. If your mother would appreciate a call on this day, call her. The "official" holiday is just an organized opportunity for you to say thanks. Of course, you can send her flowers and call her any day of the year, but most people don't. Having a set date gives you a reason. If she's anything like my mother, she'll be happy you thought of her. It's a gesture, not an announcement that you will from now until the end of times surrender to the marketing of flower shops. It's not about you, it's about her.
  • rootusrootus 7y ago
    I hate hallmark holidays too. So don't buy a card. I don't. But I do take an extra moment to pick up the phone and wish my mother a happy mother's day. Just because it's formal and seems trite doesn't mean I deliberately go the opposite direction. I love my mom and I make sure to communicate that every time we talk, so this is just icing on the cake.
  • screye 7y ago
    Yeah, I don't get it either. I don't wish my mom on mother's day. (almost stubbornly so, she knows I don't buy into it). It is kind of sad that I get to see her maybe once a year, due to my visa situation. But, I talk to her almost everyday. We don't talk about much, mostly small talk, and I do try to make her birthday special. But, yeah, mother's day seems to be more like a threat than a celebration. Like, " Wish your mom and buy our gifts, because we have artificially raised expectations about a completely arbitrary day, and set her up for disappointment in case you don't." I totally agree. Just talk to them regularly. If anything, just sending a card and calling on their special days is kind of insulting. Like, "the only time I can bear to talk to you, is when society shames me into it."
• grawprog 7y ago
  Have they invented ghost phones yet then? I would totally call my mom if those existed.
  • devchix 7y ago
    I know you jest, but of interests, there's a phonebooth someone set up for folks in Japan who have lost family members in the 2011 tsunami to "call" and "talk" to them. Scroll down to "Really Long Distance". https://www.thisamericanlife.org/702/one-last-thing-before-i-go https://www.thisamericanlife.org/702/one-last-thing-before-i... Everything we do for the dead is a ritual for the living.
    • grawprog 7y ago
      I actually find that a bit, I'm not even sure of the word I'd use, not quite creepy, not quite disturbing, but not something I'd want to do. I'm not sure if my mom would have liked that much either. She didn't want us focusing on things like that after she was gone. She didn't want to be buried so we wouldn't waste time going to a grave stone. >Everything we do for the dead is a ritual for the living. Yup, that it is. To help people come to terms with loss and generally confront the idea of mortality. Personally, i've gone through lots of different feelings towards it over the years. I'm not sure if it's something you ever really deal with, you just learn different ways of thinking about it over the years, and it's not always a steady progression of, feeling bad-being ok or something like that. Sometimes I feel like I dealt with it better when I was younger than I do now.
• kbk 7y ago
  I'm sad. I cannot understand how the question is reduced to a call on one day over the year! Cannot say more!
  • luckylion 7y ago
    It's not "call her only today", it's "call her today".
• dorkwood 7y ago
  I'm envious of people who have a kind of "best friend" relationship with their parents. My father, for example, I have almost nothing in common with. He's the political opposite of me, doesn't have any hobbies or share any of the same interests, and doesn't have the same sense of humour, so our conversation always falls flat. I bought him a laptop and introduced him to the internet because I thought he might find some new interests, but it just resulted in him watching radical YouTube videos and ranting about politics even more. For the people in this thread saying they call their parents every second day, is it because you genuinely like talking to them, or is it more out of a sense of obligation? Do I still have a duty to call my parents multiple times a week, despite us never having anything to talk about?
  • lopatin 7y ago
    FWIW my dad and I are also political opposites. While being a gifted physicist, he also believes in some crazy crap like faked moon landings, 9-11 truth, etc.. We don't talk every day, or even every week, but when we meet up for coffee or drinks, our polarized opinions fuel interesting debates. We also both know when to pump the breaks when it seems we reach an impasse.
  • rb808 7y ago
    Wait til you have kids then you'll have something in common. I hardly saw my parents for 15 years, now its weekly.
  • jshevek 7y ago
    >Do I still have a duty to call my parents multiple times a week, despite us never having anything to talk about I don't think it's anyone else's place to decide what your duties are, here. On the one hand, feelings of duty can cause us to try too hard to do something which doesn't bring any goodness to anyone involved. On the other hand, cultivating emotional generosity is often deeply satisfying, and this could be (or not) an opportunity to place someone else happiness above your own interests. Every situation is different.
  • balfirevic 7y ago
    > Do I still have a duty to call my parents multiple times a week, despite us never having anything to talk about? No, of course not.
• stakkur 7y ago
  def mom(believe_hallmark = False, mom_exists = False, mom_cares = False): if (believe_hallmark == True and mom_exists == True and mom_cares == True): print('Call Mom') else: print('Nah') mom(False, True, False) License: This code is open source. [EDIT] I'd forgotten how poorly humor fares on HN.
  • WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
    I suspect the highest mom-wisdom is knowing that Hallmark is full of crap. Ergo mom(False, True, True)
  • tomrod 7y ago
    For many environments, better performance can be found by swapping the "and" conditions with "or" conditions.
  • Liron 7y ago
    `== True` is triggering
    • therealdrag0 7y ago
      I have mixed feelings. I prefer “if (condition)”, but I dislike “if (!cond)”, since the exclamation looks sneaky, especially when the condition is a method call or a long variable. But I dislike the dis-symmetry of using != but not == . Programming syntax taste is hard!!
      • dragonwriter 7y ago
        But it's clearly Python, so it would be the very not-sneaky “not” instead of “!”.
  • airstrike 7y ago
    I mostly downvoted for the uneven indenting TBH
• J_cst 7y ago
  Thank you for reminding me
• Endlessly 7y ago
  Worth noting while 40+ countries celebrate Mother’s Day — per country, the holiday’s actual date varies. See the wiki page for more information: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day
  • anomaloustho 7y ago
    Also worth noting that today is considered Mother’s Day in ~96 countries based on the entry, making this date the single largest alignment of Mother’s Day celebrations in the world. The second place goes to March 8th (International Women’s Day) which has 20 countries.
    • Endlessly 7y ago
      For clarification, “the entry” appears to be the wiki page I linked to. The count of 96 countries appears to come from the list of countries per time of year. My 40+ countries came from the same page, not sure why it says 40+.
• loufe 7y ago
  Well this thread did not have the comments I expected. At least in my case I have a mom who gave us her all and continues to be a part of my life. I call her pretty frequently but I appreciate having a holiday as an excuse to remind her how much I love and care about her - and how lucky I am to have that. That's what this holiday means to me.
• always_left 7y ago
  If this day really mattered to someone, they wouldn't need a post to tell them to do so.
• Kye 7y ago
  I think people who at least had a bearable relationship with their parents can't even imagine the horrors a parent can unleash on their children, so can't imagine a scenario where someone would want to cut contact. They can't conceive of not having a connection with them at all because the parent (or parents) prevented one from developing with their behavior. They don't know the warden-terrorist spectrum of parents. Some of those people make a friend or two who had a different experience and at least develop a little empathy. I don't expect you to understand, but I hope you can at least understand that many people lashing out in this thread are projecting a diminished form of the horrors done to them. It's not meant to be personal.
  • deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
• spicyramen 7y ago
  I used to call my family every weekend, since I became a dad we talk 2-3 per week, the newborn has rejuvenated the family relationship and on my side I understand more what being a mum means. My boy is 1 year old and I would never understand some of the things mum did until I saw this little one grow. Call your mom's regardless.
  • deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  • tanzbaer 7y ago
    Can you give an example of something you understand better about her behavior?
• throwawayaloo 7y ago
  I can relate to some of the grief that people have with mothers that didn't fit the stereotype. I'm one of them: I know mom loves me (or at least I'd like to tell myself that) but she's been abusive to me and my siblings in ways that few can imagine. We've tried our best with interventions, but nothing really helps. Here's how it's different for me: I'm a practising Muslim and there's strong exhortation in the religion to be kind and respectful to your parents, no matter how they are (e.g. "and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.") Note it doesn't say you have to love them, because you can't really control that. My learned experience (I'm 41 now) has shown me that on the whole, this approach and advice has been immensely helpful. I feel that despite the worse that's been dished out to me and my siblings, by controlling how I choose to react is very empowering. Plus it sets up a good example to our kids (my mom lives with us since my dad passed a few years back) on how to deal with difficult people.
  • jelliclesfarm 7y ago
    I find most mothers(yes, I am generalizing) manipulative and toxic. I think going through the traumatic process of biological procreation does something to their psyche and damages them forever. Like PTSD. And they don’t get help. They get Mothers Day cards and flowers instead. Different women deal with it differently. The glorification of motherhood and the enormous pressure on ‘being a good mom’ and creating gods from mere mortals is only making things worse. Women would benefit enormously physically and mentally and spiritually if..as a society..we stop gaslighting half the human species into believing that what women have to go through physically is ‘normal’ and glorious because honestly that’s the only way they’d continue to keep getting pregnant and having more babies. Of course, physically, hormones also conspire against them creating an addiction with happy chemicals and endorphins and oxytocin and dopamine etc. But that’s nature. But nature doesn’t have Hallmark moments. It’s evolution. I am not a feminist in the traditional sense. I dont think women are ‘equal’ to men due to evolution. Our collective biological evolution has made the female of our species superior due to their higher ability to perpetuate humanity as a species, but it has also made one gender biologically weak and vulnerable. Fix that. A true feminist would want to fix that and hack biology and evolution so we are truly equal. Everything else is fluff. Having said all that..it is always a good thing to respect and love your elders and parents. After all, they are you and you are them. If you are your DNA, an unbroken chain of code...your source code must be treasured and thanked. It’s not going to be perfect but it’s key to understanding yourself and especially when you want to replicate that code. But it doesn’t have to a mass ‘celebration’ of one day in a year that has become a caricature of sorts rather than anything meaningful.
• 2008guy 7y ago
  Please get rid of this
• bdcravens 7y ago
  Last month my wife's family did Zoom calls on various birthdays in the family (I think there were 3 of them). By this point they're Zoomed-out and they just did individual calls to her mom.
• sneak 7y ago
  Why are other people concerned about the relationship dynamics in the families of others that do not affect them? Won’t people who already want to do this do this without prompting? Will people who don’t want to suddenly change their mind because they were prompted? What is the intended goal of this post, benatkin? Do you wish for people who don’t want to speak to their mothers to do so anyway, because you told them to do so? Are you worried that people who do wish to do so will forget? In either case, these sorts of societal nudging always struck me personally as really quite rude, the sort of thing that might warrant a “mind your own mother” sort of reply. It seems to me that it warrants a reminder that your cultural norms and values and priorities need not be the same cultural norms and values and priorities of those around you, and those others are not wrong for diverging from your own views.
  • benatkin 7y ago
    My goal is to give people a nudge in the direction of calling their mothers, or a mother figure in their life. This is actually what I intended by saying "call important people in your life". I didn't intend to imply that everyone's mother has an important role in their life today. I thought it would be a valuable prompting for many people in the tech startup community to receive, because the pandemic is making people feel less connected. For those on the fence, I would like to nudge some of them, but not all of them, to call at least one mother figure in their life. For those who were going to call a mother figure, but were going to wait until the last moment, I would like them to call earlier. Mother's Day is traditionally celebrated in the morning, after all. I also had in mind people who were going to forget. My views have been shaped in part by self-help books I've read, as well as what I've learned by taking yoga, improv, and meditation classes. I think it's better for most people to remove any protective shell they have around them, if they can find a safe way to do so. "The Untethered Self" by Michael Singer [1] gave me a lot of insight into it. When I'm aware, I try to let thoughts come and let them pass. I find I have an easier time doing this when I have good habits (including yoga, improv, meditation, running, and music). Sometimes I do build up a shell around myself, but I eventually open back up again. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Singer/dp/1572245379 https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Singer/dp/1572245379
    • deleted 7y ago
• whiddershins 7y ago
  Thanks! I had almost forgotten.
• KIKOKU 7y ago
  My mom is an alcoholic who had no problems giving me away when I was very young. At age 69 she substituted booze for tablets and sees nothing wrong that she lived for more than 5 decades on public welfare. I maintain zero contact even on her birthday, so I will not be calling her today. Thanks for listening.
• RspecMAuthortah 7y ago
  Anyone in different time zone that our parents are, how do you effectively deal with it? I have about 10hr time difference and whenever I have free time either they are sleeping or I have to stay till late hours at night. Not great.
  • perilunar 7y ago
    10 hours is easy. My brother lives in Europe and calls our parents in Aus every week (9-11 hours difference depending on DST). Usually his evening/their morning, but the reverse works well also. Just message them and set a time in advance.
• nr152522 7y ago
  My mum passed a few years ago. I miss her deeply, she was just 59 and she missed the chance to meet her first grandchild. I live in London and she lived in California, we’d speak to each other a few times a week. Since she left earth and moved to the universe, she’s become a super awesome space mum! I speak to her everyday. I do miss the hugs, the laughs and life lessons mind you. Her greatest lesson was when she left this world. It taught me a lot about how I go about my life. So before I sound too cliché, call your mum and tell her you love her, that’s way cooler than the learning the latest tech! Love you mum!
  • movedx 7y ago
    > Since she left earth and moved to the universe, she’s become a super awesome space mum! I speak to her everyday. Oh man... right in the feels. I hope you can your family are doing well over in London.
    • nr152522 7y ago
      Thank-you for your kind words.
• fuck_you_nigger 7y ago
  No. Pray that she dies.
• reeealloc 7y ago
  I'm fortunate enough to be a student and have a mom to go home to between semesters. Call her :)
• cafard 7y ago
  Did, five minutes before seeing the post, but thank you for the thought.
• tito 7y ago
  I love my mom! Called her this morning :)
• dgreensp 7y ago
  And if your mom is toxic and/or abusive and you are not in contact, or you have no mom, or for some other reason you can’t or know better than to call your mom: Don’t call Mom! Somebody needs to hear this today. :)
  • missingrib 7y ago
    Thank you.
  • Ewigkeit 7y ago
    Thanks, it does help to hear that.
  • millstone 7y ago
    I needed this.
• jelliclesfarm 7y ago
  I hate collective kumbayas like this. Moms, dads, pets, god, children...birthdays, wedding days, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day...these celebrations are crude and unnecessary. If it’s something or someone one treasures, one ought to keep such celebrations about that private. Isn’t anything sacred anymore that it can’t be made into a hallmark card moment or be up on social media? There are so many people out there..And everyone’s life circumstances are different. I find this..how you say..not socially classy and utterly clueless. Keep it private. No one cares. Or rather..no one should care. That is true freedom.
  • axiom92 7y ago
    >Keep it private. No one cares. Or rather..no one should care. That is true freedom. This. I dare say I find it offensive that the post is asking me to do something that might very well be irrelevant, hurtful, useless, and all in all detrimental to my mental well being. I don't know why people generalize things like this.
    • jelliclesfarm 7y ago
      fair enough.
    • harisund 7y ago
      Ahhh snow flake alert. You find it offensive? Seriously ? If you are not the target audience, just move on man. Nobody's holding a gun to your head or threatening anything whatsoever if you don't call your mom. Did you really have to go make a post in a topic that doesn't interest you in anyway just to say I am offended ? Jeez ...
• wizardofmysore 7y ago
  I literally have been calling my mom every single day for the past 8 years I've been away from home. In India we are very close with our parents, they make a lot of sacrifices to give us a good life. Most kids in India usually call their parents atleast 2 times a week.
• known 7y ago
  "You don't have to be famous; You just have to make your Mother proud of you" --Meryl Streep
• BrandoElFollito 7y ago
  A lighter comment then the others. My mom would often drive me and my brother crazy by having views completely opposite to ours. On purpose. To force us to discuss and defend our point. When we were teens all topics were addressed, she would be anti abortion when we were pro (she was too), against euthanasia when we were for (she was for) etc. Since we had in reality very similar views it of was a heck of a job for her to defend the other perspective. That was awsome. I almost went to study law (but choose physics) and I am doing the same with my children. Our discussions were very "latine" as we say in France. Quite quickly we would jump on each other and it seemed that there would be manslaughter. In the middle of that was my father who was emotional as a fish and liked to watch the show. When I met my future wife, we invited her father home for lunch. I told my mom to not talk about anything controversial so that we look like a normal family. She completely agreed and we settled for art or something. He came home, everyone was smiling and then my half brained brother (20 something at that time) brought to the table the subject of elections. After some time we were ready to kill each other with my mom. The future father in law quietly said that maybe it is time for him to leave to which we both jumped all in smiles telling that no, sorry, this was just an accident and other chit-chat. Some more cake maybe? What do you think about Picasso? He much much later told us that he thought he was in a psychiatric ward. I love my mom and dad, calling them right now!