ANDRE BEGIN

From a very young age, I remember my mother doing her best to prevent accidents waiting to happen by always suggesting that I should “go” before our departure from home.

If I said I didn’t need to, in her infinite wisdom she would coax me to “try anyway” while ever-so-gently turning me around, extending her arm like a Price is Right model in the general direction of the washroom. Of course, Mom always knew best. She was right and with a little extra effort, I was indeed able to.

For a little kid, this was wise advice, especially when just figuring out the signs of when it was time for a visit without it turning into a last-minute panic-stricken drama. The reminder was beneficial for the entire family, especially my Dad, in successfully offsetting any of my emergency trips to the powder room and flushing while he was in the shower, leading to a cascade of colourful language that could be heard a suburb away.

How Mom’s advice helped me as an adult

As the years rolled by, I no longer needed to be told by anyone to “go before we go”, yet I could still hear the echoes of Mom’s voice in this regard time and time again.

When I first started working in an office where the recirculated air was so dry that I could cough up a cotton ball at any time, I’d compensate by guzzling water through the day like a camel. This made “going before going” second nature, especially to meetings with people known for their innate talent as tangent generators and time-fillers, ensuring a meeting would never finish early.

The advice also proved invaluable along life’s journey in learning about the cause and effect of foods, beverages and medications with a surprising diuretic effect, or fountain drinks served in cups large enough to be repurposed as rain barrels.

As a result, for any car ride longer than 30 minutes, I could still hear Mom’s voice and her words of wisdom punctuated by a complementary “just in case!”

There was a period when some of our office elevators were playing “out of service” musical chairs. Given the water cooler gossip I had heard, speculating on the reasons why that was happening, I developed a non-negotiable policy of being sure that I went before riding the elevators. This was not only intended as a precaution in the unfortunate event of getting stuck in one, but also for the extra length of time one had to wait for the remaining elevators.

When it came to commuting, there was always exposure to risk. Whether it was buses running late, construction on every major artery or Mother Nature waking up on the wrong side of the bed, traffic conditions could influence arrival times significantly. Mom’s sage advice saved me from accidents of a different variety.

Preparation makes life more relaxing

Even in quiet moments of relaxation, thanks to Mom I still feel like a boy scout in perpetual preparation mode for any eventuality. If my plan is to chill on the couch or in my recliner for any length of time, advance planning is required when facing a ten pound cat sitting on my lap, putting pressure on the abdominal area around the bladder and locking me in place for an undetermined period of time.

If the cat decides to fall asleep, it pains me to consider interrupting her slumber because in all likelihood, she won’t be returning to the same place after the interruption. In retaliation, she may seek food or a supervised walk outside which also means the end of my rest break.

When taking road trips, I truly appreciated the signs by the side of the road just before a rest stop indicating “next rest stop in 100 miles.” To me, the signs could have simply quoted Mom in saying, “Try anyway” and the message would have been clearly conveyed.

Throughout the pandemic, I could still hear Mom’s wise words working their magic in my preparation to run errands. When non-essential businesses were closed, the number of facilities one could use were greatly reduced, requiring exhaustive logistical planning including phone calls to front line businesses, checking whether or not their public restroom was open — just in case.

When my partner and I moved in together, who knew what a full circle moment would emerge the first time I flushed when he was in the shower. We decided that going forward, we would check in with each other before stepping in the shower to avoid mishaps of scalding or anxious cross-legged moments when the exact total of my coffee intake may have escaped me.

Mom knows best

Almost six decades later, who knew that Mom‘s words of caution and precaution would still echo in my head nearly every day as a best practice in bladder management? I admit that there have been a few rare circumstances out of my control that may have resulted in close calls.

However, it wasn’t for a lack of preparedness, thanks to Mom’s love, wisdom and advice that stuck with me for a lifetime.

The tradition of “Mother’s Day” is a chance to plumb the depths of our mothers’ powerful impacts on our happy and healthy living from the days of being steered to the “gents” or the “ladies” as kids.

And it reminds us that Mom knows best.

Sincere thanks to Grace Mary Power for the editorial assistance on this article. 

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Have a great day,
André