You know how when you are in a relationship, often times you end up making up for what the other person is lacking? Lets say for instance, you are with someone who is selfish. In a weird way, doesn’t that make you less selfish? Their greediness transforms you, putting Mother Theresa to shame in order to compensate for their me, me, me attitude. It is like an unconscious desire for balance, because I guarantee if you then dump that jerk for an altruistic person, you would surprise yourself how egocentric you would become.

I am by nature not a very patient person. When I was a kid, and my dad and I would drive from Boston to New Hampshire for the weekend, I would spend the entire time staring at the speedometer. “Dad… Dad… Dad… the speed-limit is 45 and you are going 40. Dad… Dad… Dad… Dad… Dad… you can go 55 here.” Luckily he had to compensate and be more patient then me, otherwise we would have ended up in a ditch because my dad is not a great driver.

Now that I have The Munch, who is the most impatient being on planet earth, not only is my mom having the last laugh, but I have become way more patient. For example, I am getting her food ready, and rather than waiting patiently for food she knows is coming, she proceeds to bang her head on the back of her highchair. Keep in mind, I am not making Chicken Cordon Bleu, I am mashing up an avocado. I then bring the food over to her, put it on a spoon, which she grabs and throws on the floor, then bangs her head in protest that she is not eating.

The old Toni might have eaten the avocado in her face making “mmmmmmm” sounds while not giving her any, but the new Toni will retrieve the spoon and even be so kind to remove the cat hair. Being a mother really does bring out the best in a person.

“If I don’t get my mashed up food soon I am going to throw this spoon on the floor! Oh wait… I am going to throw the spoon on the floor anyway… but you get where I am going with this!”