So the little sister sent me a text asking, why do all the other girls in my dorm get care packages from their parents and I don't? Hmm, I'm not a mother and I don't have childrearing experience, but I'm going to take a gander and say that our parents are a little busy and show their love in a different way. The second child and baby of the family is off starting her second month at a university four and a half hours away which seems like a lifetime compared to my two hour journey. She seemed to be pretty well adjusted so far, no complaints, bags under her eyes from hanging out too late on the weekends with friends, and no homesick phone calls (except to see our dog on Skype). Why is she feeling so unloved?
... She feels out of the loop. Think about those times you get back to school after Christmas break and everyone's sharing their new toys. Everyone got a big present except for you. That hurts, even if you aren't used to getting that big Christmas present. Regardless of the fact we don't celebrate Christmas and maybe put up a light-up reindeer on the front lawn, it was never a big time of year, so she should be used to not getting that big show of affection. Heck, I didn't start hugging my mom and saying I love you until I went to college myself. Dad is another story. The sharing what-you-got-from-your-parents conversation is always something a girl wants to partake in, but how badly? No, I didn't get care packages. Yes, other kids' moms worked full-time and got packages as well, but let's face it, our mom is not that way. Her way of loving us is sending an email or calling about the newest food recall or virus and making sure we take vitamins every morning.
Having a mother who is a full-time dentist, loves researching health care news, and prides herself on being a tough individual, we didn't expect home-baked cookies coming out warm from the oven when we got back to school. C'est la vie. She did, however, know how to help us with any schoolwork that wasn't math-related. An incredible analyst, writer, linguist, and researcher can provide just as much love as a cookie-baking, care-package sending mom. You just have to know how she expresses herself. Her way of showing love is being your biggest supporter (if you ask), your best consultant (if you ask), book club buddy (if you ask), and personal dietitian/doctor/dentist (don't need to ask). Although they do not manifest in pink bows and ribbons or affectionate handwritten letters, they are equal in their intentions.
Our mom loves us the way she knows how and there's nothing we can do to change it. Learn to appreciate what your mom gives you but it definitely doesn't hurt to ask the older sister, the type A organizer, to send a care package instead.
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