The Supreme Court of Mom

I've learned over the years that whenever I have a problem, or a dilemma, there are various levels of advice.

As with all court systems in the United States, there are different levels.  In the Federal Courts, we have the following:

It's pretty simple. You start at the bottom, and if you don't like the ruling you can appeal and have your case heard by a higher court. The highest court, being the "Supreme Court.”

Key word: “SUPREME.”

I like that.

In my life, there are various levels of courts that I can go through as well.  I've got problems that I can't seem to resolve on my own, but my “cases” are a little different. They are never over a dispute, but rather a dilemma that I feel I need seek out other opinions.

Level #1: “The Independent Judge.”

Depending on the problem, depends on which friend I call. These are friends who are non-judgmental, who know me better than anyone else, and they always give diplomatic opinions. These are my closest girlfriends:  Mary, Beth, and Pam.  Long-time friends, who know me, better than I sometimes know myself. They see things that I usually can't, or in some cases – I don't want to see. Opinions are brief, firm......and on-the-money. 

Level #2: "The Hen House."

When individual opinions are not enough, then it's time to take it to the next higher level:

The Hen House

This is my New Hampshire support team.  No roosters.......just chicks. We all went to school together, so they have known me since my look-alike Peg Bundy days!

(Ya...that's me on the far left....Lisa, Christie, Kelly and Brigitte are missing, but that's basically the crew.) My long-time friends who have been there through the good times and the bad – and unfortunately, there have been a lot of "bad."  Thankfully, that's what they are best at....lifting my spirits, picking me back up, dusting me off, and quickly reminding me of what's really most important in my life…..THEM!

We've been through everything together - boyfriends, marriages, babies, divorces, very drunk nights - and even getting arrested together.

(We were only 17.) 

So, ya...it's like that.

No matter what I may face in life, they have an answer for it. If I lose my job, Justine, Julie and Gail would be quick to find me another one.  If I was broke, Julie would feed me with her home-made cooking. If a boy broke my heart - Christie, Kelly, Denise and Lisa would be quick to remind me that my Mr. Right is still out there - that he’s just right around the corner; it's just a matter of time.

If I was out of town, and my mother was in a full-blown diabetic insulin reaction and needed assistance, Gail and Julie would be racing to her house, getting the orange juice out....or getting ready to pull a "Pulp Fiction" on my Mamma!  (True story by the way.)

Regardless, they are always there to give me support - whether it comes in the form of advice, a shoulder to cry on.

Or, a refill on my Jack & Coke!!! 

Woo-hoo!

But sometimes that’s not enough, and I have to go to the next higher level.  He’s the judge and jury, and I call upon him when it comes to understanding guys. The door to his chambers reads:

The Honorable Nathan (big brother)
Specialty: A Cold Hard Slap of Reality

Nathan gives me the low-down on how guys think. I get the first-hand perspective from a guy's point-of-view.  He's a professional when it comes to removing all emotions from the equation, and just dealing with the cold, hard facts.  Unlike me, who gets her emotions all tangled up in a rat's nest, so much, sometimes, that I can’t even see straight. (Ya, I know.  It’s the Cancer in me….I can’t help it. I was born with high intuition, and I tend to feel more things than most people.  It's not easy being me!)

Here's a recent ruling from Nathan after asking for advice:

You have to treat life as a comedy, not a tragedy. Getting mad doesn’t really get you anywhere. Laughing, however…..

Laughing however......he's got that right.  

Yes, thank you Nathan!  He reminds me of what I already know. That’s Nathan. No fluff…..no fuss. It works for me.

Next level up is my "Supreme Court."

The Supreme Court of Mom

Yep, that's right.  My Mommer has a great judge of character.  It takes a really authentic person to win over my mother.  She calls it, how she sees it - without regard to whether or not her opinion is going to hurt my feelings.  I could be in mid-sentence describing a new boy, and without even meeting the person, she'll say that she doesn't like him.  BAM!

I once dated a guy for 3 years, and she always called him a “sales man,” from day one. She never liked him.  She said he was always trying to sell himself - always trying to impress me, and anyone else who would listen. I didn’t agree with her at the time, but now looking back, I realize that she was dead-on. He ended up pulling the wool over my eyes, breaking my heart, etc.....etc. I won’t go into detail, but at the end, it wasn’t pretty.

Damn, Mamma…..why do you have to be right all the time?

Intuitive…like she’s psychic, or something. She always knows how it’s going to end, if they are going to come back, if I’m going to grow tired of them……and on, and on. She likes to remind me of the theory that “whatever bothers you at the beginning of a relationship is usually the reason why you will break up in the end.”

She’s been right about 95% of the time.