Gladiolas is the title of one of my published stories. The inspiration for this story came to me after reading Difficult Mothers by Terri Apter. It is a self-help/information book that I had to read. I have been mothered by a difficult mother and I confess, have been a difficult mother myself. So be it. I did the best I could and so did she.
When I brought the book down from the shelf this morning, I found this scribbled note inside. I wrote:
It's hard to believe the old ways ever happened, much less continue to influence. My mother once asked if 'everyone' (exasperation heavy in her sigh) 'were to jump off a bridge would I do it too'; a question that required me to say no, but the same woman approved of my marrying and forgoing education beyond grade school because those were bridges she had already jumped off of. During those years the twin skewers of my desired indepence and her constraints held me like a weiner over the campfire.
So that's a peek at the story behind the story. FYI - the only common ground between the mother in the story and mine is the glads. Here's the story:
http://thedanforthreview.blogspot.ca/2013/06/fiction-44.html
Onward
Liz
