Anger management

I looked up today and the woman in the mirror looked like my mother. Of course she was sitting across the room, but the similarity did strike me.

In truth I am nothing like my mom. I am taller. I don't have auburn hair. I don't wear it curly. I am ten years older than she even lived to be.

Those are the physical differences.

Emotionally we are nothing alike either.

She sort of prided herself on not being an intellectual and yet she was certainly no dummy. I never saw her attempt anything she really didn't conquer. Except her temper.

Looking at my family from a distance I see that anger is a recurring thing, whether passive aggressive, or outwardly expressed, it runs through us more than any gene for hair color, or eyes. I think, though that it is a learned trait, an inability to cope with reality in mature, intelligent ways.

Maybe you can learn better ways of dealing with life, or maybe you just have to be old enough to outgrow all that stuff. Or maybe life just changes enough as you age that it goes away on its own.

Anyway, today I looked in the mirror and saw my mother peering over at me. I wondered what she might be thinking.