Family Relationships (+/~) [1/2]
I have what I would call a good relationship with my mom. It's far from perfect, but we get along and we love each other, and that's what really counts.
It's not really the relationship I think a parent _should_ have with their kid. It's not fully supportive, there's no desire to understand and connect, so our conversations tend to be very shallow.
My mom gave up trying to understand me when I was a teen. That's a huge and painful narrative gap to bridge.
Family Relationships (+/~) [2/2]
The emotional labor necessary to bridge that gap would be intense. Mom grew up in small rural Minnesota. She doesn't even have the vocabulary necessary to have that conversation.
We recognize the flaws in our relationship and love each other anyway. I could give her a hard time for frequently using the wrong name and misgendering me... but I instead choose to recognize her underlying good intentions instead of focusing on the sore spots between us.
@green *soff ✨plush✨ hugs*