That day, that age, has arrived!

When I was young I was amused and sometimes irritated at the ‘good old days’ conversation that ensued whenever my uncles and aunts gathered. Children were more ‘decently’ dressed, songs were not ‘vulgar’, films were meaningful, everything in the market was cheaper, neighbours were more helpful, studies made sense, the rupee could s-t-r-e-t-c-h……..

Copy, paste to the present! Only, now the conversation is not between my aunts and uncles, but is more and more the fervent discussion between friends and yours truly! ‘That’ age has arrived. We are able to say- 40 or 45 years ago this happened or that happened. How did this happen? Didn’t we always say that we would never talk like ‘them’? That we would never have a generation gap problem with our kids? That we wouldn’t mind our kids’ manners and dresses and language? Ha!

But….maybe in some ways we are different. We aren’t thaaat shocked, we have a sneaking or not so sneaking admiration for the directness and decisiveness of our children, we support their views more often or more easily……Still, I must admit that those remembered-and-hated words ‘wait till you have kids of your own’ need to be bitten back more and more these days!

Hmmm…so we are these fairly modern, educated, broad-minded mothers of 20-something daughters. We have had more exposure than the earlier generation of mothers. Things are going to be different with us surely?

So what do I do with this thought that suddenly jumped into my mind today? As mothers we may be different but as grandmothers?? Will we be able to match our mothers, the earlier generation, with their complete loving dedication to their grandchildren, their immediate fulfillment of each little wish the grandchild whispers? Will we be our grandchildren’s confidantes and share their secrets, and laugh together? Or are we, the mod mothers, going to be in a limbo- neither totally grandmas nor considered mod enough by an even newer generation?!