Oh sweet serenity

Sunset Swing, originally uploaded by Christiane B.

I essentially never see my parents because we live on very different continents. When I do see them it is always a surprise of how they are much different from what I thought they were like. I tend to forget. Or maybe use selective memory. The mental preview of a parental visit usually revolves around glasses of wine to be drunk and do-you-remember-when conversations to be had. I tend to forget however that after the first evening of wine and chat comes the first morning of scrutiny. Sentences starting with the words "not that I want to tell you what to do" can only be explained as being rooted in memories on their part of me being small and silly. The fact that we do not own six matching plates is construed as something that is due to us not knowing that we need to want and that we need to have six matching plates. In no way does it enter the maternal side of the parental unit's mind that we are not lacking six matching plates (or clothes lines or coffee tables or side boards) because we fail to realize that we need them which in their minds we clearly do, but rather because we really, truly are happy without said items. The senior believe that their way of life, full of matching items, planned out meals and swiffered floors is just a little bit superior to ours and the reason we are not living it quite their way can only be because we don't realize that it is superior. Therefore they must educate us. Persistently. A little bit every day. Surely one day we will see that we are mistaken.