An Ode to Mothering- “Annoying” is in the job description

photo by Sai De Silva, from UnSplash

My nine-year daughter has flopped herself on my bedroom floor while I am sitting on the corner of my bed, struggling to put on my tennis shoes.
“You’re annoying,” she says, as if she is observing this quality for the first time. Annoying and mean are my daughter’s new favorite adjectives- she is exploring their every nuance.
“You don’t have to have to always ask me.” My daughter declares…