Home from Boca

Sorry ya'all. Just home from a visit to Florida with the little one to see my parents. In Boca Raton, where all good Jews go to retire.

So back to the whole "Jewish mother" thing...this is the part of Sachs' article that caught my attention.
...Somehow throughout the millennia, whether we were living in the desert, the shtetl, the ghetto or the Upper West Side, Jewish moms have also turned out successful progeny, despite all the kvetching.
Perhaps that's why there are so many Jewish lawyers. Jewish kids debate at home. They speak back to their elders. They argue while practicing their powers of persuasion on their exhausted parents. And we moms, well, we at least subliminally encourage it -- after all, we love a good argument almost as much as we love kibbitzing. And after centuries of persecution and existing on the fringes of nearly every society from Egypt to Eastern Europe, either fighting for entry or thriving in spite of it, Jews are hardwired for resistance...

Well, resistance is a strong point for me. And I think it's gonna have to be, in order to resist buying into all the hype around easy answers for questioning little ones. I didn't get up the nerve to ask my folks about the whole Death and Dying topic, too busy chasing around the little monkey and keeping her out of trouble.

Grandma and Grandpa didn't get mad about the avocado on the wall...

Hula hoops? Really??

Everything must come out of all boxes. Period.

This includes suitcases.

What I have noticed recently, is several of my bad habits:

• Saying "Bless you" whenever someone sneezes. Honestly, I can't seem to stop.  It's great that my folks ingrained manners in me and all, but a bit hypocritical, no?
• Cursing, with "goddammit" and "Jesus Christ" being some of the most common.  
• Using the phrase "Oh My God"
• Saying "Thank God" instead of "Thank goodness"...

Seriously. At one point in time, I remember having to stop myself as a teenager from overuse of the word, "like".  I know it is possible to do (though I can't seem to get away from using "Dude"...). But if I'm going to try to walk the walk, I gotta break myself of these phrases...


But back to that paragraph. I actually wasn't raised by the stereotypical Jewish mother [The stereotype generally involves a nagging, overprotective, manipulative, controlling, smothering, and overbearing mother or wife, one who persists in interfering in her children's lives long after they have become adults--Thank you, Wikipedia!!].  I think my father was...and perhaps even my mother was. Overbearing? Perhaps...but they're very non-confrontational. To a fault, perhaps.  Kinda like pulling teeth to actually get them to talk about anything serious. But somehow,  there is still this hardwired thread of staunch resistance within me, which I think was brought out even more by living in places where being Jewish wasn't common. Especially around the winter holidays.  The start of Christmas carols in Oct/Nov makes me tense, and suddenly quite aware of not being a part of the majority.  Living in North Carolina for 4 years might have made me feel more "Jewish" than my upbringing (after Hebrew school was over and done, that is...).  And it's been a bit perpetuated living here in Ottawa now.  At least Seinfeld helped others get my sense of humour...


As for turning out successful progeny...now THAT is something I can get behind. Trent (husband) and I have talked about this as one of the best parts of Jewish culture--the importance of academics.  We were both geeks growing up. And my parents never had to push me regarding grades, I was a good student.  Mind you, I was lazy until grad school, because I KNEW I was smart, and didn't have to work too hard to pull As and Bs.  {Had I actually put my mind to it or been pushed a bit more,  I may have done even better, but it's not like it is today for kids applying to college.  Anyway, tangent. Sorry. }  So is that what I want Ellie to get from my heritage? "Study hard, kid, this is how our people survived the pyramids, the Pharoahs, the holocaust, the blacklisting, ..."

OK  I am most certainly rambling. It's late and the little darling has been asleep for 3 hours. I'm off to join her.