“You’re Turning Into Your Mother”

We’ve all had those moments — the ones we’d swear we’d never have — where we utter some phrase or make some gesture that we realize is exactly like something our mom would do. Most likely, our first instinct is to freeze in horror. But we are our mothers’ daughters, after all, and as we get older, their affectations usually start to seep into our own personalities, whether consciously or not. And really, is this such a bad thing?

We asked our contributors to share their own “Am I Turning Into My Mother?” moments. Feel free to share yours in the comments or on our Facebook page. (Because you know you have one.)

Lipcolor Copy

“The moment when I picked out the same shade of lipstick that my mother’s been wearing for 30 years.”

—Jennifer Ha

Clean Genes

“The other day, I flew into an organizational frenzy, spring cleaning on a level that most would consider manic. I caught myself saying things like, ‘A place for everything and everything in its place,’ and I realized that my mother’s spirit had literally left her body and inhabited me. But, you know, the place is clean and organized, so there’s that. Thanks, Mom…?”

—Kristin Booker

Carryall Counterparts 

“In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hermione used an Undetectable Extension Charm on her handbag, significantly enlarging the bag’s internal dimensions without affecting its physical size. My mother used this very charm long before Miss Granger. In fact, my mom’s handbag was a bottomless pit. If you needed a tissue, antacid, Tootsie Roll, piece of Juicy Fruit, bobby pin, plastic scarf, postage stamp, pack of crackers, or a hundred dollar’s worth of loose change, she’d have it in her bag for you. Today, my kids know I can be counted on to supply all manner of crap from my hefty handbag as well, including all of the above — except the plastic scarf.”

—Amy Barr

Safety First, Sweetie 

“When I say something safety related to my boyfriend like, ‘Don’t lick the knife! You’ll cut your tongue!’ Oh dear, did I just say that?”

—Lindsay Mueller

Say It Ain’t So

“The following oft-spoken mom phrases have now become a regular part of vocabulary: ‘Putting on a face’, ‘I’ll talk to you anon (when getting off the phone), ‘Just throw it in the Fibber McGee closet,’ (for things you just want to hide/stash away), and countless others I used to mercilessly make fun of as a kid. But now, in addition to using these sayings often, I kind of like them.”

—Susan Linney

List Lovers 

“My mom and I are both nothing without our lists (just like dear Toad in Frog & Toad Together; we even include things like “get dressed”). She has her index cards noting daily chores, her notebooks to list who gave who what for Christmas, and Evernote, which at 76, she uses religiously. Mom was the first person I ever knew to be on “the Internet” with her Prodigy account. She’s always been an early adopter — I like to think I am too. My mom is from Kansas City and has a very flat, Midwestern tone (roof is pronounced “ruhf”), which I can imitate pretty well — and when I do, it always gives me the shivers because it’s like my mom is emanating from me. Creepy.

Also, a side note: One of my partners at TueNight is named Susan (my Mom’s name) and her mom’s name is Margaret. (Close enough to Margit). Also a tad creepy. But also cool.

—Margit Detweiler

Dad’s the One

“I’m actually turning into my father.”

—Deanna Zammit

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