Grandparenthood

I've been watching Parenthood since the beginning of the series.  Can't remember exactly what the specific hook was that prompted me to start watching this show, but I was hooked.  It made me cry.  It's made me cry several times.  I can't remember the exact episode that made me cry the first time, but I'm sure it had to do with the whole family coming together for something.  Maybe it had to do with coming together for Max.  But it had to do with coming together for someone, and that may be the reason I fell in love with this series.  It reminded me of my family.  We're crazy… we drive each other crazy at times, but, if something happens, we're all there for each other.  They were all there for me… every time I did something crazy; they were there to help me, hold me, scold me, whatever it took to take care of me.  That's my family.

That's why I like Parenthood.  The reason for this post has to do with the last episode this season, particularly this scene.  It reminded me of a time when my mom talked to my daughter, her granddaughter.  It started when Mandy got her nose pierced…  I had tried to dissuade her (Ok, it was more like "Hell, no!"), but she really wanted one.  I kept telling her she was beautiful without it, but she persisted.  She was old enough to get one without my permission.  She was in college.

She came home one weekend and I knew as soon as she walked in the door, something was odd.  She didn't look directly at me, she kept her face turned away as she walked by with her laundry.  I asked what the matter was and she finally turned to me and I saw this tiny stud in her nose.  I'll admit… I flipped.  I said it looked horrible, I didn't want to see her.  I told her to go away, I didn't want to see her.  I refused to look at her and then I heard the front door open and close… and she was gone.  I broke down crying and of course then tried to call her but she didn't answer her cell phone.  I called my mom, because I thought she would go over there, but she hadn't and I started crying again and told my mom what had happened.  She consoled me, said it would work out and that she'd let me know if Mandy showed up.  A couple of hours later, Mandy came home and I finally looked at her. 

Truth be told, it didn't look bad.  It was a tiny stud and actually looked cute.  It didn't take away from her beauty.  We hugged.  And then I then told her that grandma knew and she would have to go over and show what she had done.  Now this scared her. 

Grandma was waiting in the living room when we arrived.  I walked in first and then Mandy walked in.  Mom looked at her, gave her a hug, said it didn't look that bad then she asked Mandy, "Why did you make my daughter cry?"

Granted, getting a nose pierced isn't on the same level as getting in a car with a drunk driver, but that scene where Zeke tells Amber she does not have his permission to mess with his dreams took me back to when my mom told my daughter not to make her daughter cry. 

And then she made us lunch.