Guilt

This one is called "Guilt" or "Ode to Mom." The abstract below is my tribute to my mom. Her initials are CZ and so it is doodled.

I learned the art of “Jewish Mother Guilt” from my mom. I thought I had learned it all until I tried to turn the tables, by trying to give my mom a little guilt trip. I said, “mom, I think you have never been to my house during Passover and it has been a long time since you’ve been to Arizona. Why don’t you come this year?”

Well, being the novice that I truly am, I did not get the response I expected. She immediately started crying, and acknowledging her faux pas. She then continued to tell me how miserable she felt by her not coming more often, and she got more and more upset. I then stupidly attempted “damage control” and tried to explain I was using the “old guilt trip technique,” but by then she wasn’t listening to me. Alas, it was too late, she had ‘trumped’ my guilt card and took me down several notches until I begged for mercy.

I am humbled. I had the audacity to challenge the Queen, and she took my volley and spiked it back to me, sending me cowering into the corner not only feeling guilty but also ashamed. Wow, she’s good.

Me bad. Lesson learned. Don’t try to out-guilt your own mother and expect to surface unscarred. Back to therapy I go….