So here’s one to file under “great communication between mother and adult son.” A patient told us the other day that she had downloaded Fifty Shades of Grey to her kindle and really enjoyed reading it. Then she started laughing and said that when she downloaded the book, it hadn’t really occurred to her that her whole family shares the Kindle content. She gets a call from her 20 year old son in college. “Hey mom.” He says nonchalantly. “So what are we all reading these days? Let’s see, I’m reading a Keynesian history of economics, and you, let’s see…YOU are reading Fifty Shades of Grey.” His mother laughingly told me the story.
She said she was embarrassed about it when it happened and just laughed. But I, always searching for a subtext, focused for a moment on the fact that her son so easily could joke around with his mother and pointed out to her that the interaction was great. He didn’t get so embarrassed he couldn’t talk to her about it and he certainly didn’t seem shocked, just amused. It didn’t strike him out of the realm of reality that his mother was reading this book and obviously she was approachable enough in general that he could tease her about it.
How great is that?
Here’s to mothers and fathers who make talking about sexual things, just a normal part of life.