My mother always said…

In a sense, every family is a little Prim England with its own traditions. They can relate to relationships, leisure, life… Tried and tested by generations, such rules simplify life. Unless we forget to look at tradition through the prism of modernity

My mother always said that the meat should be salted at the end of cooking, the Windows should be washed twice a year, and my husband should not be left alone with his best friend. She taught me how to cut slices of sausage into two pieces before frying them, be sure to eat soups for lunch, and most importantly – to fulfill their promises.

Until now, I – not the most obedient daughter in the world – fulfill these covenants, perceive them as a part of myself. I do not allow the abandonment of all these soups, Windows and promises. Because that’s what makes me whole, and our relationship with mom – strong. It’s traditional. With their help, my mother gave me something that gave her own life more convenience and security. And she did it out of love for me.

Her mother also passed on to her traditions: spinning wool, caring for her alcoholic husband and manipulating others with the help of their diseases. Considering that the wool for knitting, my mother, and with her social skills and my dad’s all right – these traditions she enjoys. She has to create her own behavioral skills that are more useful in her real situation than the experience of her ancestors. Continue reading →