We had the meanest mom in the whole world. While other kids didn’t have breakfast, we had to eat cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had sodas and candy for lunch, we had to eat a sandwich and a smoothie.
My mother always insisted on knowing where we were. She also needed to know who our friends were and what we were doing. She insisted that if we said we’d be back at a given time, we would be back home at that time.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but she even broke anti-child labor laws: made us wash dishes, make our beds, forced us to learn how to cook, iron, and do many other equally cruel tasks.
I have come to believe she stayed up at night thinking of things she could make us do.
She always insisted we tell the truth, and when I reached my teenage years, our lives became even more miserable: No one could just honk for us to come running out. She embarrassed us to the extreme by forcing our friends to walk up to the door and ask them who they were.
My mother was a complete failure but, as adults, none of us has been arrested or had any issues with the law. Each of my siblings is a productive member of society, we serve our country with distinction, and whom do we have to blame? You’re right: our mean, mean mother.
Look at everything we missed out on! We never got to take part in a protest, in violent acts, and in thousands of other things our friends did.
She made us turn into educated and honest adults, hardworking and responsible citizens. And you know what? Taking her as a reference, I’m trying to raise my kids the same way.
And I thank God for giving me “The meanest mom in the world.”
By: Mariano Osorio, Motivational Speaker;
Translated by Alfredo R. Pabon.