One of the bad things about baby showers is that the games are not nearly as fun as those played at a bachelorette party. Instead of pin the penis on the naked fireman, or make the bride-to-be introduce herself as Alotta Vagina, or take shots of Sex on the Beach every time the fiancé’s name is mentioned, you are stuck with baby naming, oh’s and ah’s over baby clothes, and a lack of anything alcoholic to drink. Babies, in general, are a buzz kill.
However, one of the good things about baby showers is that you get to think about your own potential momminess, while not having to actually experience big boobs, morning sickness, and bikini obliterating weight gain. You also get to reflect on whether you will really turn out—gasp—just like your mom.
At a recent baby shower, the hostess had us all play a (relatively) fun game. She posed the question: What is the greatest lesson you learned from your mom that you would like to pass along to expecting mothers? We went around the room and women recounted fond memories of their female parent—fostering the love of literature by reading to their sleepy daughters before bed; being more concerned with spending quality time with their kids than having a spotless house; providing nutritious meals that shaped present healthy eating habits. Then it was my turn. Of course I can’t remember all the things my mom taught me, since some are so ingrained that they seem like second nature (calculus?) and others, so unfamiliar that I am positive I need to attribute them to someone other than myself (being nice?), but there was one memory that stood out in my brain.
