"Your mom's hard on you," observes Danny (Lucas Hedges), Christine's first boyfriend.
"Well, she loves me a lot," Christine replies.
Lately, my mom and I have not been seeing eye to eye. We argue about everything from important matters to less important matters.
Our communication is not very constructive. In fact, it falls in the passive aggressive terriotry.
Judy and I are best friends; extremely close. The boundary lines of our mother daughter relationship oftentimes become blurred. I just turned 30 this past October and sometimes I feel anything but my age. I still suffer from all the unknowns that exist in my life, which utterly paralyze me.
When my mom was my age, she went through a lot; divorced, single with two children so at time she lacks a certain kind fo sympathy that I yearn for. Judy was forced to get a job to support her family. She had a lot more on her plate at that age than I do and I truly commend her accomplishments. But she and I are different and that’s ok. Because of that, she drives me to find a better job and inquires why I don’t go out and dates. Sometimes it’s too much for me.
LADY BIRD, directed by Greta Gerwig follows the life of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson. Growing up in Sacramento, California, Lady Bird wants to follow her dreams which extend outside of California borders. Her mother Marion, a hardworking nurse wants Lady Bird to stay in her lane, think realistically and be fiscally responsible. Out of love, her criticisms and wants come across very belittling. It’s so overwhelming. As I watched the characters argue on screen, I couldn’t help but think of my arguments with Judy. Still, through the fight and disconcerting moments, I felt the love.
Although there are many motifs in this movie, my focal theme in LADY BIRD is the mother daughter relationship and how the two navigate the frontiers of change and independence. These themes effect each lady in such different ways.
Both are strong willed and glued to their own beliefs. It’s clear that Marion wants the best for Lady Bird, just like my mom wants the best for me, however, it’s not always portrayed in that manor. Marion’s fear of abandonment oftentimes comes off aggressive and hurtful to Lady Bird. And Lady Bird, still a young teenager, can’t see past that and feels her mom is just cruel. That dynamic hits close to home for me. Such strong feelings get lost in translation.
I have talked about this idea of anger oftentimes being a secondary emotion. It shadows feelings such as fear and sadness or even anxiety. Sometimes when my mom and I argue and I am able to step back from the situation, I can see she gets angry with me, because deep down she worries for me. Frankly I don’t blame her for worrying. I am pretty all over the place. My mom is hard on me, because she loves me a lot.
Can anyone relate to this? Maybe you have this type of relationship with a sister, a boyfriend, a girlfriend , etc… or maybe it's just me. Maybe my mom and I are too dependent on each other in a way. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Yoga Pose: Reverse Crescent Lunge: This balancing act with a pinch of twist requires much determination, strength and focal stability. Body parts must communicate with one another in order to see the pose through. If not, one might fall {and falling is totally OK!!}