When Paloma announced they were going to Mexico for Thanksgiving, every crime, shooting, and murder, popped into my news feed.
Drug cartel opens fire in quaint Mexican café.
American tourists kidnapped and slain.
Tourists murdered on Mexican beach.
Of course I let her know every crime that came my way. I'm her mom. I am duty bound.
She thought I was pessimistic and macabre.
"I just want you to be aware that danger lurks."
"Don't you know the same thing could happen here?"
"Yes, it could, but I just need you to be cautious and to make good travel choices."
The conversations were usually by phone, so I was spared the impetuous and requisite eye roll.
But once I knew she was conversant in the dangers of Mexican travel, I dropped it. I focused on great weather, great food, and swimming in beautiful water. When their guest listed was added to or subtracted from, I'd say, "Oh he'll be lots of fun!" or 'That's too bad she can't come."
I focused on the positive.
She remembered the negative.
As they sat on the plane waiting to take off on Tuesday before Thanksgiving, she sent a text promising to face-time every single day, to not go out late, to lock the doors at night. But I'd already let go of the potential danger and reiterated the most important message, "Enjoy. I love you."
When she didn't write or call yesterday, I face-timed her at 9:30.
"Hi, I just called to make sure you haven't been kidnapped by the cartel."
We both laughed. Then she shared her beautiful day of good eats, sun, and friendship.
This morning came an important realization for both of us.
Message #1 from Paloma:
So Luke’s mom has been sending him articles about tourists in Mexico and London’s mom did the same, so I guess it isn’t just a Pat thing, it’s a mom thing 😂😂😂😂
Message #2
I guess a group of tourists died from carbon monoxide poisoning. So we had to make sure we had detectors last night for Luke’s mom 😂
Message # 3
But moral of the story, I thought it was a Pat thing to point out the bad of the foreign trip but it’s all moms hahahahaha
To which I replied: Most of my bad points are probably human-universal. We are not that unique.
We, as in mothers.
She thought she was the only one to be cursed by a neurotic mother- News Flash!!!!! ALL MOTHER'S ARE NEUROTIC!
I won't warn her, at least not yet, that she too will be the same.
It's a heritage she can't dodge.
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