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Tone of Voice (Jeanne)

One of the things I heard a LOT in the late 70s / early 80s: "Watch your tone of voice!"

I would snarl back, "What tone of voice?" I had so much attitude!

When I was older (young 20s), I apologized to my mom for how awful I had been as a 13-year-old (and 14, 15, . . . ). She just laughed.

"Seriously, mom. I was such a brat. I'm so sorry for how I talked to you." She shrugged it off. I think she was waiting for me to experience that with my own children. Alas, she didn't realize that my boys were very different than their mom had been as a teen. None of them was ever as awful to me as I was to my own mother!

I'm glad I apologized to her when I did. Even though we had another twenty or so years together, I feel as though my ability to reflect and appreciate only grow with my own aging. I can now better understand how she could be so sanguine about my youthful awfulness.
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