Hypercritical Moms, Take Note
Dear Ann Landers: The letter in your column from the 33-year-old woman who felt constantly diminished by her mother reminded me of something I clipped a long time ago. Sorry I don’t know where it appeared, but I hope you will print it. - Nita in Oklahoma City
Dear Nita: Many daughters and some mothers will see themselves in today’s column. Thank you for sending it on.
Why I Prefer the Company of My Mother-in-Law
She says, “I really like the way your hair looks.”
My mother says, “I liked your hair better when it was shorter.”
She says, “You look a little tired, dear. Let me keep the kids over the weekend so you can get some rest.”
My mother says, “You look like hell. Why don’t you quit running around so much?”
She says, “The children really enjoy their pets. You are wonderful to let them have so many.”
My mother says, “Your house smells like a kennel.”
She says, “I’m glad you called. What’s new?”
My mother says, “I’m watching a TV program. Phone me later.”
She says, “The children are getting so tall. They look wonderful.”
My mother says, “Why don’t you cook some decent meals for the kids? They look thin and undernourished.”
She says, “The dinner was delicious. You really are a gourmet cook.”
My mother says, “The chicken tastes funny. What happened to it?”
Dear Ann Landers: You recently printed a letter from a woman whose grandmother was named “Manila Philapina.” She asked what happened around Aug. 4, 1898, in the Philippines that would make the mayor of Minneapolis offer $10 to anyone giving their daughter that name.
I can tell her. “Manila Philapina” was named in honor of the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines. The United States declared war on Spain in April 1898 over issues that related to Cuba. The first decisive victory occurred half a world away on May 2, 1898, when Commodore George Dewey’s Asiatic Squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet at Manila in what Dewey called “one of the most remarkable naval battles of the ages.”
Americans were euphoric when the news reached them a week later, and thousands of infant boys (including Donald Duck’s nephew) were named Dewey in honor of the victor.
The mayor of Minneapolis, anxious to get his name in the papers while letting a few baby girls join in the commemoration, offered a reward to anyone who named their daughter Manila Philapina. - Nick Cullather, associate editor, The Journal of American History, Bloomington, Ind.
Dear Nick: Thanks for the research. The history buffs will love it. Keep reading for more on the subject:
Dear Ann: I am 13 years old. My name is Manila. I live in Minneapolis. My great-grandmother was named Manila, also my grandma, my mom and about seven cousins. Nobody ever told me where the name came from. Now, thanks to you, I know. - Manila Anderson
Dear Manila: How nice. Tell your cousins.