The Call That Affected Me
Read on the Wednesday, May 20th radio program.
Dr. Laura, I first listened to you many years ago on an AM station, and I was glad to find you again about ten years ago after I purchased a car with SiriusXM. You’ve asked your listeners to email you about the one call that affected them. For me, that was hearing a caller describe her difficult relationship with her mother and your response: “You wanted a mommy but didn’t have one.”
My mother was probably what, in psychobabble, could be described as narcissistic. Her career always came first, along with her involvement in various organizations. She had multiple affairs while married to my father, and she was often competitive with me. For example, when I was about 16 and in my underwear getting ready to go somewhere, she walked up to me—also in her underwear—and declared that her body was just as good as mine, even though she was 20 years older.
Her compliments were usually along the lines of, “That’s a nice outfit, and it looks good on you, but it’s not your best color.”
Needless to say, I was gobsmacked, for lack of a better word, when you told the caller she had grown up without “a mommy.” That was exactly my experience. Hearing those words helped me better understand my mother and, in a sense, forgive her.
While I don’t always agree with you, I truly appreciate your program and the insight it brings to your listeners. Thank you, especially, for helping bring clarity to my relationship with my mother.
Cathy
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