Phone Calls from Mom

It's superficial to say that "phone calls from Mom are the best"--sometimes, talking to Mom about certain subjects (i.e. crazy things I did over the weekend, my grades, my driving ability, ANYTHING involving the opposite gender, etc) inevitably ends in tears, awkwardness, or very intimate details from her teen years that are both disturbing and frightening to my sensitive. Other times, the advice given isn't easy to hear. It's painful.  The intent of the message is often lost in the harsh words spoken, and the issues I hoped to be advised on suddenly seem more immense than they were before. Talking to Mom can be tricky, too. Especially when talking about things that she simply COULD NEVER understand, like texting etiquette or fashion--subjects that perhaps are impossible to grasp for anyone 40+. Yet, I truly treasure every call from my Mom. I know, that's cliche, trite, and overly sentimental...but it's true. Somehow, getting the wrong fashion advice results in me discovering the best outfit--something better than what I might pick out through the advisement of a less sincere third party member. Really, I think that there's just an uncanny amount of power in a person's motivations. My Mom cares, and somehow that makes her incoherent counsel on how to flirt with return missionaries more valid and meaningful than the seasoned experience from a more knowledgeable 20 something.