THE BEST COMPLIMENT ADDENDUM

My friend Patty wrote that this was her best compliment:

"It was at my grandpa's funeral. I overheard my mother telling someone that I was a wonderful daughter and she couldn't ask for better. Needless to say, I was farklempt. She never knew that I overheard her."

I wrote back and told her it reminded me of my mother:

Our next door neighbor had seven children, all of whom were lousy.

Shortly after Mother came to make her home with us, she was on the phone with the neighbor, and I could tell from the conversation that they were talking about Mother's coming to live with us. I heard Mother say, "Well, Sue always says that I make my home with them, NOT that I live with them!"


Mother did not know I heard that conversation, but later Mother said, "She doesn't have one decent kid--there she is out there in the country with emphysema --and not one of those damned kids will get her an air conditioner!"

Three days later we took an air conditioner to her!

Mother said, "She was telling me that I would regret MOVING IN ON you!" I said, "She said THAT--moving in on?" Mother said, quite smugly, "So I told her, "MY daughter ALWAYS says, that I don't LIVE WITH them, but I make my home with them!"

Oh, that shade of difference: her saying that "MY daughter always says" rather than "Sue always says" tells EVERYTHING about MY mother!