What sort of self respecting child doesn't take their parents to the airport when there's no transportation or time conflict?
Originally, my mom said that she'd just say I was busy and couldn't take them to the airport. I think it embarasses her (to her friends) when she has to admit that we don't do certain things for her. So I think she prefers to make up excuses for me. Like even though I've lived at home for the past year, I'm always so gruff and curt with her when she asks for "favors." I mean, these aren't even favors. Driving her around someplace, doing something that could take a few hours, might be a bit of an inconvenience, but at the end of the day, isn't that big.
I hardly offer to go out of my way to do things and when directly asked, I sort of get all annoyed. It must hurt her, somewhere. I wonder if she wonders how she raised such ungrateful kids. And it's not about the closeness or the relationship even. It's about empathy, care, and unselfishness. Most of our other friends seem to do things for their parents, on differing levels of course, but I'm sure I'm pretty low on that spectrum.
A thankful son would say something like "Let me carry your bags while we walk to return them." Bags containing stuff she had bought for me that I didn't like and rejected nonetheless. Instead I holed up in the car because I was essentially surly and not being helpful.
i can't believe i haven't met your mom, first of all.
secondly, all kids do this to some degree. i am certainly guilty of it. my friends and social acquaintances would be floored to see the laziness that abounds when my mom asks me to do the slightest thing (fortunately, when it involves lifting, i immediately defer to Sir Cyrus).
your mom let you keep your finger after you tattoo'd it, so you're ahead of the game!!! carry the woman's bags!!!
wow. this piece is really good.