Even More Myths Narcissists Create About Themselves

As I have mentioned, my mother is aging and in poor health. She has trouble getting around and her energy level is pretty low. It's sad to see and I am determined to do what I can so that I don't have the same problems since I think some of them are hereditary.

What I have noticed is that my mother talks all the time about how hard she used to work and all the things she did. She'll say "If I'd known I was going to use up all my ability to work, I would have slowed down and saved some for now."

If someone had asked me about my mother, I would have said she was a hard worker. But now that I am really examining the truth vs. myths, I have stopped to consider my recollection of my mother as a "hard worker".

Now...we all know people who are hard workers. They are up cleaning and cooking early in the morning, probably tending a garden in the summer, while also working a full or part time job. They are also the people who are the first in line to help a friend or neighbor. They also don't complain about how hard they work because it seems sort of like a compulsion or just a natural way of being for them.

There are others who work hard because they have to. There's a lot to get done. They have bills to pay and families to care for.

And then there's my mother. My father worked and my mother stayed home. My father earned a ton of money and we lived a very comfortable life. Not opulant, but looking back I realize that we were very well off and money was never a worry. My father never restricted my mother's spending (like he could have anyway...but that's another topic for another day). So, as far as working at a job because she had to put food on the table or pay the electric bill was never an issue for my mother. Never ever.

She did have some part time jobs here and there and she collected and sold antiques and generally (at least according to her) did well.

But, do I have a recollection of my mother has haggard and harried? No.

We did always have dinner on the table, but as I recall, once I got to be about 10 years old, she'd send me into the grocery store while she waited in the car and she also had me doing a fair amount of the cooking or at least helping with the cooking. That's hardly unusual and I never felt overly burdened by it. But, if you think she was covered in flour from making pies from scratch and digging in her garden...you're wrong.

My recollections of my mother from my childhood are generally pleasant. Remember, it's only recently that I figured out that she's a narcissists. I've been buying into her myth my whole life. And, there were many fun times.

But, back to the issue at hand...was she a hard worker? No. I don't think anyone other than my mother would describe her as a hard worker. My dad might because he's bought into her myth too.

Sure she did her fair share, but to call any of it hard work or hard work over a long period of time is simply not true.

Of course...I won't be the one to tell her that. I know better.