Sadomasochism and Me

Sa-do-mas-och-ism: the derivation of pleasure from the infliction of physical or mental pain either on others on oneself. ~Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

I've heard this word from time to time during my many years on Earth. I'm not one for inflicting physical or mental pain. I certainly do not enjoy inflicting either one on anybody. Unless you talk to my teenager. He thinks every time I ask him to mow the lawn or rake the leaves I'm delving out some medieval form of punishment. OK that I do enjoy.

I can't come down on him too hard. He is taking very good care of me in my husbands absence. I am blessed with a child who does good in school, hangs around the kind of kids I won't mind him bringing to the house and is extremely good at keeping up his chores. He jumps on the dishes after dinner, takes out the garbage and will straighten up the playroom/living room when he's had enough of the princess wands and dolls lying around. With the exception of anything that requires a distance of more then 10' feet and 20 minutes away from his World of Warcraft game, he gives me very little grief. I just have to suit up before I ask him to go outside.

I am trying to be the kind of Mom the kids like. I am striving to set aside my Marine Corps training and treat them like the tiny humans they are. I find that when I bark orders and I get blank looks plastered across their faces. Is it confusion? Is it fear? Are they trying to see how long they can stand there before I start going "Drill Instructor" on them?

I try to reason with them. "Ladies, let's get ready for dinner". I say this with a June Cleaver kinda voice, smile on my face, all I am missing is the pearls. They stand there, still, frozen in time. Or they turn and bolt. That's my favorite thing they do, turn and run. If you ever want to see what loud looks like up close and personal, turn and run from me. My hands flail in the air, nostrils wide open, and my mouth is at full speed and volume is pumped up. This is what the "Drill Instructor" looks like. All the while, the little people are running and laughing and dodging me. Oh yeah, they are having a good time.

Joey comes home Saturday. He has been in training for 40 days. My Mom is being discharged from the hospital where she had hip replacement surgery. I have agreed to pick her up. My Pampered Chef consultant buddy is scheduled to come over that morning as well, so we can practice doing a party as consultants. My daughters are having a friend spend the night. The friend is five. I've asked her parents to stay for dinner. In addition, my cousin is coming over for a play date with her little boy who is almost two. All on Valentine's Day Weekend!

I'm not sure if I've inflicted physical pain or mental pain upon myself. Whatever it is, I'm enjoying it. Maybe sadomasochism isn't all bad. As long as you enjoy the company of friends and family. I wouldn't have it any other way.