some things are just not how you want it to be

Today, I heard something I haven't heard in a while—my mom said, "I wish I had a son." I knew this; I knew she always wanted a son. At the same time since I was a kid, I’ve been compared to other people, the kids of other families. As I grew up, those comments came up less and less. But today, my mom met one of my friends who embodied everything she wanted that I wasn’t. It wasn’t just one comment, but a few: "I should swap you with ___ haha," "I wish you were like him," or something similar.

I know she didn't mean to hurt me. She is happy and proud of me, and she was joking (with a hint of deep truth to it), but I couldn’t help but feel a little knife stabbing my heart. It is what it is; we get what we get. But I don’t want my own dreams to be overshadowed by someone else’s anymore. So, I just wanted to let it go here. :)