Matriarchal Wisdom

Good ol’ family perspective can still trump internet wisdom

Like many millennials, I'm forging my own parenting path. At the risk of being unbearably millennial, I don't align with the parenting I received. So I pick and choose when to confide in my family about parenting woes.

Sitting with my mother and grandmother one afternoon, I tried to sound chipper while lamenting how little sleep I was getting thanks to my toddler. “I know I’ll miss these days when they’re gone,” I said, assuring them I had the proper perspective and absolutely certain they would both nod in agreement.

Instead, they both looked at me like I was delusional — perhaps from insomnia.

"Where on earth did you hear that?" Mom asked.

"I certainly don’t miss those days." said my 96-year-old grandmother.

I let out a deep, healing sigh of relief. Like mothers, like daughter. I’m sure I’d read it online somewhere. I’m too exhausted to remember.