Harold Arnold: Your Relationship Rocks Coach!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Ever wonder if mother really knows best?

Previous episode
Celia’s mother, who had been on an extended “visit,” moved out on schedule per Rob’s request. 

Current episode
This Thanksgiving, Celia’s first gratitude was that she worked for a school district that provided the whole holiday week as vacation.  Even though she was approaching the end of her first trimester of pregnancy, the fatigue remained overwhelming.  She hoped she might get ahead of it, somehow, with a week of rest.  She started with a delicious sleeping-in, and now, awakening slowly in her warm bed, she counted her blessings.

Her second gratitude:  She and Rob would observe Thanksgiving in their apartment, alone.  They had chosen to remain in town so that Rob could grab extra holiday shifts at his part time Starbucks job while on vacation from his other job.  Celia wished Rob did not still work the second job, but what had started as a way to close their income gap when Celia was underemployed now provided extra cash to stash for their unplanned bundle of joy.  Celia knew Rob would sleep better for the next eighteen years if they had even a small college account invested now. 

Her third gratitude contributed to the second.  Her mother was gone and seemed intent on finding another job, having been laid off from her previous one.  Celia prayed she would find one before falling into discouragement and depression as was her custom; when that happened getting her back on her feet fell to Celia and her sister Catherine, who lived with their mother. 

Celia’s phone rang and she saw that her mother was calling.  She considered ignoring it, but decided that at this rested and thankful moment she could tolerate whatever Mom had to offer.

“Celia!  I got a job,” Mom said as soon as Celia said hello. 

As relieved as she was, Celia was also surprised it had happened so soon – Mom lived in a rural area and jobs were scarce now anyway.

“Mom, that’s fantastic,” Celia said.  “Where?”

“Holiday help at Williams-Sonoma,” she said.  Celia could not imagine that an upscale store like that had a branch near where Mom lived.  Mom must have sensed her emerging confusion because she continued:  “At the mall near you and Rob.  I applied last week before I left and they called me today.  I have a day of training on Wednesday to start on Black Friday.”

Mom continued to chatter about the job as Celia’s grateful heart sunk into her sickly stomach. 

“Mom, where are you going to live?” Celia interrupted.

“Well I thought I would drive back up to Columbus tomorrow”—

“And stay WHERE?” 

“With you and Robbie, of course,” she said.  “But just for the holidays.  Once they offer me a permanent job after Christmas I’ll get my own place.” 

Celia almost fainted at her mother’s multiple, dysfunctional layers of assumption and naïveté. 

What does Celia say?