Sometimes, it can be incredibly hard to stay reasonable with family. They know exactly how to push our buttons, and we often know just how to push theirs right back. That is how even the smallest tensions can turn into deeply petty, long-running battles.
For this woman, it all started with the way her mother used food as punishment during her childhood. Years later, she found a way to get back at her by cooking the one dish her mom cannot stand: pasta. Ever since, every shared meal has carried a secret meaning that no one else around them knows.
Read the full story below, along with a conversation with the author for more details.
The mom used food as punishment throughout her daughter’s entire childhood
Image credits: Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo)
So at one point, the daughter decided to turn the tables and get back at her with a bit of culinary revenge
Image credits: On Shot / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image source: badpettya*sdaughter
We reached out to the woman who shared the story
Image credits: Abigail Keenan / pexels (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda got in touch with the woman who shared the story, and she was kind enough to answer a few questions. One thing she admitted was that she worried her mother might realize the whole thing had been intentional.
“I really don’t want people in my life to catch on, though as some commenters pointed out, there’s a non-zero percent chance that my siblings and dad know,” she shared. That is often what makes family drama so complicated. Opening up can be healthy, but getting people to confront their own behavior is not always easy.
She also shared whether anything had changed since posting the story. “The only update is that I told my husband, and showed him the post, which made him laugh so hard he cried. He knew I didn’t like my mother, but I never really got into why, nor why every time they both came over I made pasta.”
“He cheered me on, which I really wasn’t expecting, though I probably should have. He’s my best friend in the world, and I don’t know where I would be without him. Other than that, not much. My dad and I have spoken, but not about this, and my mother and I never really talk, so nothing new there.”
The woman also reflected on how much attention the story ended up getting online. “A lot of people were saying I was worse than her, because I’m ‘doing the same thing’ but I really don’t see it that way. A petty person, and a bad person, sure! the same as someone who knowingly tortures a child with food? No.” At the same time, plenty of readers felt her revenge was actually pretty mild, especially compared to what she had gone through growing up.
She also revealed whether all that revenge had taught her any real cooking skills
Image credits: fauxels / pexels (not the actual photo)
She also opened up about whether all those years of pasta-fueled revenge had sharpened her cooking skills. “I have no idea, past that a lot of people told me that they wished they could do something similar to their abusive parents, but don’t know how. When it comes to my cooking, I wouldn’t say it’s made me a better cook, but a more inventive, a more curious cook, certainly.”
“It started because I knew I couldn’t just make spaghetti every time I cooked dinner at 16, and I started looking at more recipes for things other than pasta as well. I don’t compare myself to a chef—I would never—but I get along okay for what I do. When it comes to other things I’d like to add, I would say that I don’t think that being a petty person towards one person turns you into a monster towards everyone,” she shared with Bored Panda.
She also made it clear that her mother is not being tricked or forced into anything. “I would like to restate, my mother is not an invalid who is bed bound or being forced to eat the food. She willingly steps into my home knowing what she will be served. I also want to add, I don’t make her food any differently than the food on my or my husband’s plate, I don’t make it gross or anything like that.”
“We all eat from the same dish. I don’t waste food, it’s just not something I believe in. She just doesn’t like pasta, and that’s enough for her. And, Uh... if you see this ma, well. The unspoken has been spoken, I guess? Sorry about that, I genuinely didn’t think this would get 1/10 of the attention it did.”
Readers were eager to hear more, and the woman ended up sharing extra details in the comments
Many of them loved her plan, and some even chimed in with a few suggestions of their own
