I have listened to you my entire life and one thing that has always stuck in my head has been your mantra "I am my kid's mom."
I have been abused, used and traumatized my entire life, starting with an abusive and unloving mother and continuing on into adulthood. All this has left me fearful and timid. I have been diagnosed over my lifetime with almost the entire gambit of anxiety disorders. I am old companions with fight or flight, the later being the chosen path at every situation, except, where my daughter is involved. Then all the anger from my childhood comes to the surface and instead of a fearful timid cub, I am a growling, snarling momma bear. Today, was no different.
While on the way to the bus stop, I saw my daughter being taunted and teased by the neighborhood bully, he never saw me coming, but he heard me! My daughter got to witness the color quickly drain from the bully's face as I firmly told him to NEVER speak to my daughter again with loud clear small words so his puny little ego could understand. He looked as if he needed to go inside and change his pants as I finished. Then I left, and continued walking with my daughter to the bus stop, but instead of crying or being afraid, my daughter was ecstatic. Despite all my fears, she had seen once again that not only do I have her back in life, but when faced with protecting her, I was able to overcome my own anxieties and stand on firm ground and scare a bully. Her timid, fearful, tiny momma scared a bully!!! I told my daughter, you took back the power today, all you have to do is call 911 and you know momma will have your back in pressing charges if the bully ever tries to shove his weight around again.
Thank you Dr. Laura, even though I never had a mom to look to for advice, you were always there on the radio, conditioning my young plastic brain for the future, "I am my kid's mom, I am my kid's mom, I am my kid's mom!"...
Kris
