Nancy -

Parents are definitely human beings who make all sorts of mistakes. We can't change the past, we have no time machines. So all we can do is try to work on the present. That is all we ever have control over.

I hesitate to call anything "crazy". We all have different views on the world and that is fine. It is natural and normal that others have views different from our own.

Let's say your mom was brought up to feel a woman should be quiet and a hard worker. Her job was to keep the home as "homey" as possible, and to hide her own worries and issues. Lots of women are trained from birth to be that way. So she is doing what she was trained to do. She feels it is her job - her reason for being there - to keep the house clean. If someone else tries to take that away from her, then she's not worth anything any more.

It would be like if I loved painting pictures. I adored doing this, it made me feel meaningful. Then someone came along and said "It's OK, I will paint your pictures for you." I would be upset by this. This is what *I* am supposed to do, it is what brings meaning to my world.

It's very hard to undo training that has been done to you since birth. It seems so natural and normal that other ways of life seem quite bizarre.

So it is fantastic that you helped her to take a small step out of her comfort zone and start talking to a doctor. Maybe that will help to show her that she *can* be responsible for the home, and also still take care of herself too. That's a hard lesson for many women to learn, and many never learn it.

Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
Low Carb Forum