the words she's waited for

When I was younger, I'd read in dim light.  Loved it.  Crystal clear the words ran across the page.

"You will ruin your eyes, Sara," my mother intoned, day after night after day.

I read a lot.

At night.

A lot being hours upon hours.  Until 11 with my light on, and afterward under covers with a flashlight.

Smart cookie, was I.

Now a days...

I'm the one.

Ever laugh at yourself because you are your mother or father?  Words leak out and it sounds like you when they are thought but as they whisk away from your mouth to the air...it's another.

"Cooper, may I please turn up this light?"

You know what I realized?  He can see...it's me who can't!

Me, who valiantly and vainly tried to fail a vision test to decorate myself with glasses (hey, it was 7th grade and I was in an awkward stage).

Me, who always yearned for spectacles.  They make a blond girl look smarter, right?

Well.  My time has come.  My ship has reached safe harbor.

Good thing there's good lighting in my ship's mooring.  I can't read at night anymore without getting so
s o  s o tired.  And words kind of slide off the page.

Yep.  I need the readers now.  And like any good girl, now that I need 'em I don't really want them.

But I also find now that I am sounding like my Maman.  Surely she must have needed readers when she implored me to turn my light up or off.

This midlife stuff is silly.  But it is also sort of fun to hear my mom in me.  I like her a lot, after all.  If I have to sound like someone, she's a good someone to resemble.

My middle name is Ann.

:)

Mom, I turn my lights way up now.  And I can assure you I'm not reading past 11pm.  Promise.  Cross my heart.