When I See My DNA
It’s easy to forget they are my children, but then…
Living with my two sons is like living with little copies of my ex husband. Their mannerisms, opinions and attitude toward me can be startling reminders of what it was like to live with their father.
Before he moved out 5 years ago, I often felt like family life was 3 against 1 with me being the odd man out. I wondered if this was the usual situation for a mom with male children only.
Do other fathers easily gang up on their wives with their sons behind them? I’m sure my family is not unique in this regard, but it is possible my ex husband’s narcissistic tendencies played a part in creating a family atmosphere that seemed to dismiss and disrespect my ideas and feelings. Like father, like son.
It seemed to be a boys club in my family which I could never join.
There are some pleasant occasions when I clearly see that my sons inherited some positive traits from me.
Even if they try to hide it, I have caught them both dancing really well. I am a trained dancer and have always had a gift for rhythm. I have been disabled from a stroke since before my younger son was born.
I don’t dance as well as I used to. But that is just because of an injury. In the depths of my being, I am still a great dancer.
I watched my 22 year old son on the dance floor at his cousin’s wedding last year. He and his girlfriend had moves. His father was never much of a dancer so he did not get this gift from him. I could almost feel myself moving easily in my son’s able body as I watched. It was clear he had at least some of my DNA.
Although both of my sons have terrible handwriting like their father, they do pretty well when it comes to putting sentences together. They are also articulate conversationalists with excellent vocabularies.
Here again, this is a beautiful example of seeing my DNA being passed down to my children.
How do you see your DNA brought to life?
