A-MUSINGS

On the ninth day after my son got his learner’s permit, we took a drive down the street to the post office with him behind the wheel. He pulled into a narrow parking space that terminated in a large concrete wall. As he inched closer and closer to the wall, I gripped my arm rest tighter and finally told him to stop. “I have plenty of room,” he insisted.  And…he was right. There was probably four feet of space between the wall and the front bumper. In my defense, I told him, “The wall looked closer from the passenger seat.” His exasperated response: “You just have Mommy Vision.”

From my son’s perspective, Mommy Vision is not a flattering term. It occurs when Moms can see…

…kids stuffing their unfolded clothes into their dresser.

…youngsters feeding their vegetables to the dog.

…little ones hiding dirty socks behind the cushions of the couch.

…a test marked “F” in a child’s backpack (even though the paper was hidden inside a text book).

…teens on Facebook when they are supposed to be in bed asleep.

…kids (even those who are not your own) who are generally up to no good.

My son also believes Mommy Vision is a spoiler of fun. It causes mothers to see dangerous situations in otherwise recreational pursuits, such as jumping off the roof with a shower curtain parachute, or doing an Evel Knievel leap on a bicycle over your little sister. Girls think Mommy Vision blinds a mother’s fashion sense by making skirts look too short, T-shirts to appear too low cut, or eye shadow to seem too dark.

To me, Mommy Vision means something very different and valuable:

• It helps me be mindful of hazards (sharp corners on furniture, choking risks, neighborhood delinquents) in order to protect my offspring.
• It gives me the power to see when my children are upset or sad even when they say “It’s nothing.”
• I allows me to see past the awkward growth stages of today and view my children as the successful adults I know they will become.

You don’t have to be a Mommy in the traditional sense to have Mommy Vision.  Many people I know (women and men) developed Mommy Vision when they became aunts or uncles, or even pet parents. And as you grow older, your Mommy Vision becomes more acute. So even though my last trip to the optometrist resulted in a stronger prescription for my aging eyes, I am confident that my Mommy Vision will always be 20/20.