Moms, mistakes and memories

Philosopher Erich Fromm said, “The mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother’s side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and to become fully independent.”

It was my mom’s birthday last week. Even if I had all the means to buy in this consumer driven world, she would be difficult to buy for. As I get older and deal with impending death of my parents, I want to buy them anything they want. But more often than not lately, what they want doesn’t come off a shelf with a tag attached....