My mom is a workaholic
My mom is a workaholic, and I don't know who to blame. I thought I'd finally learned to accept it and be at peace with it, but my mom just inadvertently cancelled a planned trip with me this weekend.
We were supposed to travel up north tomorrow night. Like a kid, I got so excited. I did my laundry early, I made sure my work was on track, I already booked my nails, and all that jazz. However, it's already Wednesday and my mom still has not gotten back to me on what time we'd meet each other, and what things we plan to buy for our relatives.
My dad dropped my laundry this evening, and my mom, who didn't even open the window to say hi to me, was in the passenger's seat. I asked her if we're still a go, she said the most cliché, used-up words I've been hearing ever since I knew what words mean, "We'll see, I need to finish something for work."
I was dumbfounded when those words came out of her mouth, mostly from the fact that she still uses the same excuse now that decades have passed.
As a child, I just always accepted it. I didn't know what was happening at her work, maybe everyone was leaning on her to do things, and even if I was sad she couldn't come to school events, I couldn't do anything about it because her job, the one that gives us money to live, needs her.
Now, as someone in the workforce, I learned that my mom's workaholism isn't actually "it just so happened", it was a choice. Even the bosses of bosses take leave every now and then to attend their children's school events. They would trust someone to oversee for a few days and be with their family. My mom seldom did it. She would file for a leave for a few days, but would still work at home. I don't know what to feel knowing she's in her retirement age, and yet she's still using work to feel alive.
My excitement has died down, I will still have my nails done tomorrow, and I'll use the weekend to clean my apartment. That's that.