I always thought I was more like Dad

My mom is one of my dearest friends. Accordingly, I was shocked today. While mentioning that a friend of mine would be joining our book group, she responded with this:

One of life’s greatest pleasures is getting lost in a book and not even being aware of what is going on around you. It used to drive my mother crazy when she wanted my help with her daily life which included 2 small children 15 months apart plus Marise who was 4 when Julie was born. Lots of laundry, diapers to fold, ironing to do (yes, people really used to do that weekly) and she would want my help and I’d be “reading again”. She always said it as if it was a bad thing. I now find that funny because she was more than likely wishing I’d help with the work so she might snag a little time to read herself.

I kept waiting for the punchline. You know, something like, "It used to drive my mother crazy when she wanted my help... and I'd be 'reading again'". I expected to read, "just like you used to." But she didn't say that. I think that I must be cut from her cloth after all. We used to joke that because Tim and I looked so much like my dad's side of the family and both had blue eyes that, if we didn't know better, we'd wonder if she was our mother. But it turns out I'm more like her than I ever knew. I only hope that when I'm her age I have as many people who love me as love her. You're a wonderful woman, Mom. I love you.