Mom just called.
She has her own special ring on my cell phone. For her cell phone, work phone, and home phone, they all have the shrill YOUR MOTHER’S CALLING ring. Whenever I hear it, even on someone else’s phone, I automatically recoil in preparation of The MOM. In all her emails, she types normally until the end and she always capitalizes MOM. Like she’s a deity or a monster or arch-enemy with her own movie coming out soon. Which, she is. All of the above. No one intimidates me more than The MOM. None of the razor-blade-spitting bosses I’ve had have ever put the fear of death into me like The MOM.
I think she figured out the separate phone ring though (over the course of two years) and now calls me on Dad’s cell phone because then I actually think it’s Dad and pick up, only to hear “Have you read my email?? I emailed you yesterday! When are you going to therapy again? Did you tell him you need to go every week? Did you tell him your pills aren’t working?”
–sigh–
And she had the nerve to ask BF last weekend why I never pick up the phone? As if there were any question, really.
After two unanswered emails and three unanswered calls (and a bitchy blog entry), I decide it’s time to pick up the phone so she doesn’t call BF at work and demand to know IS MY DAUGHTER DEAD OR JUST FAKING IT AGAIN? (yes, she’s actually done this. Despite what the all-capital-letters suggest, my mother does not scream or shout or even raise her voice. No. She’s The MOM. She doesn’t need to raise her voice. Her tone alone can make people drop to the ground as fast as cow shit. I just use all capital letters to suggest an element of fear)
“Are you going to see Dr Xanax tomorrow?”
yes mom.
“Are you going to ask to try new medication?”
yes mom.
“Are you going to ask if you can have weekly therapy sessions?”
yes mom.
“Are you going to haggle to see if he’ll charge less for you?”
yes mom.
“Are you going to tell him about how you’re unproductive and can’t send out your resume?”
yes mom.
“Are you going to tell him about all the time you’re spending in bed?”
yes mom.
“Are you going to tell him that you MUST get his taken care of? Every day you lose to depression is a day of your life you’ve lost.”
yes mom.
“Have you set up a separate therapy session?”
yes mom.
“I read in the newspaper that some people just have bad genes. They get depression for life and never get over it, no matter what pills they try. Do you want me to send you the article?”
No, I want you to withhold any information that may make me start to cry. Like now. I’m about to cry.
“Oh honey, don’t cry. You’re just making yourself depressed all over again!”
No, you did.
“Don’t you even think about going to that fridge and getting out the ice cream. I know how you are with that ice cream. I noticed you’ve gained weight.”
yes mom.
“Your aunt told me about this new surgery technique they’re trying called transcranial something-or-other that is a procedure that fixes your brain so it releases the right hormones when it’s supposed to so you don’t get depressed. You should look it up. In a couple years maybe you can get it done.”
You want me to get my brain probed?
“Not probe, sweetie, FIX. Look it up on the internet.”
yes mom.
“So I think you may have that bad gene I was just talking about where you’re depressed for life and nothing can fix it, you’re just like, screwed for life. I think that’s you, because you’re not doing as well as me or your brother or any of our other relatives on anti-depressants.”
Thanks Mom, that’s YOUR gene that’s screwed me up.
“It could have come from your father, you know, I swear they’re all depressed.”
They’re just alcoholics, Mom. HAPPY alcoholics.
“Don’t you think that’s CAUSED by depression?”
No, I think mothers that send them depressing articles all the time are what cause depression. Then they drink so they lose brain cells and can’t remember what they read in all these damn articles.
“Stop being negative, that’s not going to get you anywhere.”
yes mom.
“You know, you should be so thankful you’ve got all these people around to help you with your depression.”
yes mom.
“Especially BF, he has to see you ALL THE TIME and that’s not easy, especially for someone who’s never been through depression himself.”
yes mom.
“You be careful, you can’t let your depression get any worse or you’ll scare him off.”
yes mom.
“That’s why I’m nagging you to take care of this NOW, before you get worse.”
yes mom.
“Well, I’m glad we’ve talked. Call me tomorrow and let me know what new medication he suggested you try.”
yes mom.
“And since you’re feeling better today, why don’t you send out a couple resumes? You’ll feel better once you get a job.”
yes mom.
“Bye sweetie!”
CLICK.
__________
I need to ask the psychiatrist for stronger Xanax tomorrow. This pissy little .5mg shit ain’t holding up to The MOM. I need a force stronger than The MOM. Like Xanax in the water filter and cheap vodka.