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What do you wish you'd inherited from your mother?

(183 Posts)
LaraGransnet (GNHQ) Tue 26-Mar-19 14:47:22

We were talking about Mother's Day and thinking about the things we really wish we'd inherited from them. For me, it would have to be my mum's singing voice - I can't hold a note, yet she can make a song out of the week's shopping list and sound like she should be on stage. What do you wish you'd inherited from your mum?

labazsisslowlygoingmad Thu 28-Mar-19 17:43:57

her intelligence and her kindness
lost her nearly 20 years ago and miss her so much

Bazza Thu 28-Mar-19 17:15:51

Her positivity and her zest for life and making the very best of what was thrown her way. Her ability to see the absolute best in everyone, including me. Her cheerfulness. Her love for her family. Thirty years on I still miss her every day. She was as perfect as a human being could be. I’m so sorry for all of you that didn’t had the relationship we had.

CarlyD7 Thu 28-Mar-19 17:08:35

Her ability to drink huge quantities of alcohol and stay upright!

rocketstop Thu 28-Mar-19 16:52:41

Her health and energy, sadly I have not been as blessed !

quizqueen Thu 28-Mar-19 16:52:10

Her ability to accept her lot in life without complaint!

Badenkate Thu 28-Mar-19 16:51:39

I wish I hadn't inherited her legs ?

Sheilasue Thu 28-Mar-19 16:46:56

Baking, and cooking, she made the most amazing cakes and wonderful roast potatoes and my children loved her to bits.

Happysexagenarian Thu 28-Mar-19 16:32:41

I never knew my natural mother, she died when I was born. But I know she was a talented artist, I've seen some of her artwork, so I wish I had inherited her skills. I do try, and I really enjoy arts and crafts, but I'm nowhere near as talented as she was.

Glammy57 Thu 28-Mar-19 16:16:42

My first post.

Absolutely nothing.

Suebcrafty Thu 28-Mar-19 15:45:19

My mums cooking and baking skills which unfortunately passed me by,my brother has her cooking skills and is a competent chef, my mum could make delicious meals and made cakes for everyone including incredible wedding cakes!

maryhoffman37 Thu 28-Mar-19 15:39:45

Her light hand with pastry.

breeze Thu 28-Mar-19 15:27:31

Really sad to read so many posters had awful relationships with their mothers. I grew up so envious of friends who had mums. It's tragic how many of you are traumatised by toxic relationships and mothers who said or did such awful things to you. A mother should be your closest ally and protector.

flowers to all of you who don't have happy memories/relationships.

Foxyferret Thu 28-Mar-19 15:15:54

My mom did lovely embroidery, cushions, runners etc. It was so neat the back looked as nice as the front. She still has the silks but at 93 she cannot see so well now. I loved the name of the stitches, my favourite being lazy daisy.

cupcake1 Thu 28-Mar-19 15:03:31

Her gentle and kind nature which I took for granted and abused many times. She died far to young and I have to live with the guilt. It’s been 34 years since her death and I still miss her dearly. Her knitting skills were amazing she would knit items for a local wool shop to earn ‘pocket money’ whilst teaching me as well, not that I was anywhere near as good as her. Bless her flowers

elfies Thu 28-Mar-19 15:02:16

Thank you Blondiescot , mine told me just before she died that she'd never liked me anyway, and years later its always at the back of my mind

Blondiescot Thu 28-Mar-19 14:41:25

elfies...you and me both. I can't remember my mother ever saying anything good about me...

elfies Thu 28-Mar-19 14:17:48

A kind word before she died

Rosiebee Thu 28-Mar-19 14:17:31

Her light touch with pastry making, especially her apple pie. I love cooking but could never make or eat an apple pie because it will never be like mum's.

Carolpaint Thu 28-Mar-19 14:16:38

Her capacity of 'Denial', she is the perfect mother of the Kray's. Embezzle the bank - not my boy. Spite to children - only joking. Tightfistedness - he is being careful. Being gay that is fun living in spite of being HIV positive. Is it a generational thing?

marpau Thu 28-Mar-19 13:48:17

Nothing

olliebeak Thu 28-Mar-19 13:33:29

My mother had very lovely feet. Neat size 5's and goood shaped toes.

I'm a size 9 - broad fitting - large and bent big toes, a lump on the outside that looks like a bunion - but isn't, and curled-under toes .......................... I certainly got a raw deal :-(.

cassandra264 Thu 28-Mar-19 13:12:53

My outdoors-loving mother and my dear grandmother were both brilliant at creating gardens wherever they lived. I am not - but went to classes later in life in order to be able to learn to make my own outside space more beautiful......

I wish I had inherited their engagement rings, which they wore all the time during their lifetimes. As mementoes - not for their financial value.My poisonous sister in law, whose shopaholic tendencies had always been a cross for my brother to bear, stole them ( together with other items left to me in my mother's will) after my mother's death. SIL sold the lot. I was advised by the family solicitor that I could make this a matter for the police. However, I did not want to make trouble for my brother. Also, my DH was in hospital at the time and I had more important things to worry about sad

GreenGran78 Thu 28-Mar-19 13:12:17

rosecarmel perhaps, like my mother, the war affected her in a bad way? It's sad that we usually are too late in realizing that we needed to talk more, and find out about our parents' histories.

lincolnimp Thu 28-Mar-19 13:10:35

Her long slender fingers and beautiful nails.
I inherited my father's square hands and equally square nails

rosecarmel Thu 28-Mar-19 13:09:01

Transportation .. When mum sees a thing, be it a striped store awning, basket of fruit or group of trees she feels some affinity with she is transported back to memories of her distant past and begins to spin a story from what she recalls- Ive always enjoyed this about her, but it wasn't until this morning that I had considered that at the core of each tale might be the true untold story, one of sadness- And that these tales she tells act as a cushion between her and some long ago hurt - I'm aware of the sad happenings throughout her life, she is approaching 100, and has seen and experienced remarkable things as well - But I had never put 2 and 2 together before this morning, never realized that from early on in her life she might have had PTSD and developed a way to cope with it - I've a favorite photo of her in grade 1, and even then her eyes looked old, sad and get clear and wise- And while I think she passed different illnesses on to me .. I'm beginning to realize just how much we are alike ..