Notes from Maine - 2021/05
When I was a kid, my mom wore a cape.
It was a figurative garment that she donned when she felt that she had been wronged and she needed to exact justice. If she was overcharged for an item or service, she would “put on her cape” and march right back into that business and demand what was fair. If my brother’s box of Crackerjacks didn’t come with a prize, she would “put on her cape” and write a letter.
Mom was a ferocious letter writer.
My brother got a whole box of prizes that sat on top of the refrigerator to be doled out.
The kitchen got a brand new stainless steel sink when the one installed had a blemish.
My mother’s cape was all powerful.
It was confusing to me, because Mom also had a literal cape. I think she sewed it herself. She didn’t wear it all that much, so I had a hard time understanding why everyone always talked about Mom “putting on her cape.”
Later, it seemed like Mom stopped putting on her cape and traded it for work clothes. She took a class and began repairing the station wagon herself. She refinished the hardwood floors, reglazed windows for a neighbor, and got a job working for the County, where she excelled. Maybe it was just my perception, but it seemed like she spent less time advocating for herself and more time just doing things on her own.
Mom has maintained her DIY spirit while somehow hanging onto low self-esteem. It’s baffling to me that she has trouble thinking of herself as a person capable of anything. Well, I suppose baffling is the wrong word. I knew her father. He wasn’t the most encouraging or supportive person in the world. His typical method of instruction was to ridicule me for doing things the wrong way. I’m sure Mom got more than her fair share of that when she was growing up.
The way I remember it, we kids got tons of support and encouragement growing up. I’m not sure if my brother and sister have the same opinion. I was raised to believe that there was nothing I couldn’t do if I put my mind to it. And I had a good role model to prove to me that it was true.
