"There is no bond that can ever match the strength that flows between mother and child whether it be in the animal or human world, as the umbilical cord is capable of stretching from first until last breath, though severed at birth.
From the moment of conception, there exists a constant awareness of a new life within oneself awaiting birth into the wide world. From first breath and cry of arrival, a dependency develops based upon warmth, nourishment and protection. It is alas a dependency that the newborn child never forgets and carries with them throughout their lives from one loving relationship to another; from childhood into adulthood. Heathy development into adulthood will involve this dependency being transferred from mother to partner, friend, significant others and spouse.
Occasionally, an 'overprotective' mother will be highly reluctant to sever the umbilical cord to her offspring as she develops an unhealthy attitude towards the mother/child relationship. When this occurs, she can and often unknowingly encourage the extended dependency between mother and child. Thus the child that she was charged by nature to nourish, protect, prepare for adulthood and then to set free into the world to make a life and family of their own grows into adulthood ill-prepared and is unable to survive without constantly calling upon the support of mum in one way or another.
The comedian, Les Dawson, who died a number of years ago made a good living out of one-liners that mocked the constant presence and interference of mother-in-laws in the life of their daughter's husbands and husband's wives who were never good enough to have married their precious offspring. Indeed; I will never forget the character of the interfering Thora Hird, mother-in-law, with the husband of her daughter in my old friend's great novel, turned into film; Stan Barstow's, 'A Kind of Loving.' The look of disgust upon Thora's face when she was washing the newly married couple's bed sheets and found love stains on them.
When this situation exists, the in-laws of the well-balanced individual in the partnership will quickly become the outlaws who interfer far too often in the role of their child's marriage, thereby preventing a healthy, functioning situation ever developing between man and wife. The child, even when fully grown, will invariably remain in childlike mode during disagreement with their partner and will repeatedly call on mum's assistance to be arbiter, problem solver, extended bank loan provider, etc.etc and bail them out.
Sadly whenever this situation exists within a union between man and woman, the relationship is fast heading for disaster and is eventually shipwrecked on foreign shores. I don't know the answer in all circumstances, but I sometimes think that just as the child's first slap on the arse was largely resonsible for breathing life into them, perhaps nothing less than a good kick up it now will get them to cry out once more; 'Mum...please let me go to get on with my life... I'm now in my forties!' Does this scenario sound familiar or ring any bells out there?" William Forde: July 3rd, 2017.