Finally Feeling Validated
When I was three years old, I was in the washroom and decided to try on my mom’s necklace. In all fairness, it was a beautiful thing that she had worn to her wedding. But I dropped it in the toilet. Then, three-year-old, impulsive, later to be diagnosed ADHD me…flushed it.
And obviously, it flushed, never to be seen again. I have always felt terrible about this. I have apologized for many, many years. Age six, age nine, age 13—I’m sorry mom for flushing your necklace down the toilet. She would only give me petty, insulted responses back.
So recently, at a dinner party with all of her neighborhood friends, my Mom decides to pipe up and tell the story of how awful little me destroyed her property. One-upping everyone’s light-hearted tales, of course. Mom starts the story: “When she was three—” And then the most beautiful moment happened.
Here she gets cut off by Tom, a teacher and great guy: “She was three? Shouldn’t she have been supervised!?” Mom didn’t even get to tell her story! The entire party agreed with Tom instantly, “No way it’s the three-year-old’s fault!”
My mother was stunned and didn’t say anything as the conversation moved on. I have never felt that amazed, and god, so relieved and validated about the whole thing.