Topic Found Art Tuesday May 8: MOTHER
Friday, May 4, 2007 at 02:20PM Next Tuesday's topic for Found Art Tuesday is going to be MOTHER because well, the following Sunday will be Mother's day, right? at least in the US. In Mexico we celebrate Mother's day on May 10th. No matter if it's a Monday, Saturday or as this year, a Thursday.
Thinking about Mother's day this year made me think a lot about family values and the relationship I have with my own mother, which I am not even to begin to discuss here because she reads this blog (Hola mami!) and any comments I say will open a can of worms I don't even want to begin to describe. So, no anecdotes of me in my teenage years and my mom with her menopausal experience... While being in Mexico last week I also thought a lot about my relationship with my own daughter, and how it's all so great now that she's small, I am the best of the best for her (poor little thing, she still doesn't know any better) and the time will come when she will begin to question me and the things I try to teach her. I can only hope I've built a strong relationship with her, trusting and caring and all...
The way I was brought up in my mexican culture, family is ALWAYS around, you see all your aunts and cousins and you usually have a lot of them. There's not this thing called "Extended family" they are ALL family, your aunt is as close to you as your mom, your grandmother is usually the queen of the anthill and every Sunday is usually spent in church and then with a family reunion of uncles, aunts, cousins (and girlfriends or boyfriends of the cousins, etc) and since a couple of years ago.. great grandchildren. My children are the first great-grandchildren. My mom is the first abuelita of her sisters, this is one of the reasons of why they always get so spoiled when we are visiting my family. They get their way all the time, with everybody. Do they want a cookie? They magically materialize from at least 5 different hands... They want juice? toys? a new car?? whatever their little hearts desire...
I am leaving you with this excerpt from a column in the OC Weekly from LA. There's this guy that writes a weekly column called "Ask a Mexican" Where people send in their questions about Mexican culture that they find hard to understand and he tries to answer, but in a very light and joking way.. I like to read it once in a while because I can see the issue of cultural differences from a different perspective. I can see what the gringos are wondering about mexicans...and it's funny too...
This question is about family, and I had to agree with the answer! This is what we do in our family!, here it is:
Question:
I come from a small family that I’m not particularly close to, whereas my chica caliente has a huge extended family and is devoted to all of them. Her family intrudes on us whenever we’re together, and she doesn’t seem to mind at all. They’re always around! I get dragged to just about every family function under the sun. I don’t like the long drive to see her, only to have her family shoved down my throat. My family stays out of my life, why can’t hers? We never have any alone time. I love her, but a little of her family goes a long way. Is this over-reliance on her family a cultural difference? How do I let her know I like her family, but not every damn time we get together?
Dear Gabacho: What an ingrate! You’re dating a Mexican gal, the crema of the sexy-lady crop. Tu novia’s family obviously accepts you since they could’ve easily shamed her into dumping your gabacho ass. But instead of celebrating your good fortune, you’ve decided to whine. Boo-pinche-hoo. Tell your girlfriend what you told me, then start looking for another lady after she leaves you. When you date a Mexican, you date the family: intimidating brothers and father, hot younger sisters, drunk uncles and cousins, withered abuelos,and a mom who never leaves the kitchen. Unlike the majority of gabachos, Mexicans still value close-knit families, still understand their power to strengthen communities and individuals. Besides, an omnipresent familia is the only way Mexicans can guarantee their teenage girls won’t get pregnant before senior prom.
Reader Comments (1)
what an excellent blog today! The FAQ was great and your description of your family was wonderful. I feel very priveledged to be able to share this all with you. What a treat!
k