If Momma ain't happy.......

Just got back from a five day trip to Mother's.   She is doing ok.     She lives in South Florida in a 55plus retirement community.  Actually, she lived there, as did I, when we were under 55 years of age.  Now at 89, she has lived there over 60 years and due to refurbishment of the park, she is having to move a short distance to another location.  This has been a big deal and a long process that has resulted in a lot of anxiety.   We went to help her pick out a place and she found one quickly and it is very nice.  She is happy and I am relieved.  The weather there was wonderful.   It did rain the day before we left, but it was warmer and compared to the rest of the country it felt great.   I wish I could have stayed longer.   I have a headache and the constant heater running dries out the air so much in the house.  I might have to get out and do something but I just don't feel like it.  

I have been thinking a lot about men and women , and how things might have been different if I were a man.    I do tend to notice small things in my day to day life that reflect the automatic behaviors in our culture that are dictated by gender.   Being with my mother and my man friend on this trip, I had a chance to notice small ways that she will defer to him, or any male for that matter, because he is a male.    I know that this had a big affect on me growing up, because it just has to.  There is no way that attitude of male superiority can't be transmitted onto me by my mother as she raised me.   I am starting to think about how it has shown up in my life, and how it still effects me.   A lot of thinking to do!