Ask your mom what she wanted to be at your age. You might meet a whole person you’ve never been introduced to.

Parents get filed under their role, and the role hides the person who existed before it. They had plans once, and an age when nothing was settled, exactly like you do now. Asking about that opens a door most families leave shut for decades.

Ask at a quiet moment rather than across a busy table, then stay silent long enough for a real answer. Follow it with what happened to that plan. You may come away with more patience for them, and a clearer view of what a life quietly trades away.