The first person drawn is supposed to be the one viewed as the most powerful. I drew my mother first. Is this valid? When I was little, it was 'father' whom I remember as the disciplinarian. He was an image of huge legs that didn't go past the waist. I always battled him over right and wrong. Being bigger and smarter, he usually won. But from my ridiculous stubbornness that often amused (and inevitably frustrated) my parents, I plowed my way out of some tricky situations. How could my dad punish a six-year-old whirlwind of self-righteous indignation, who ran to her room and barricaded it with a chair? He was more inclined to laugh; after all, my stubborness was a reflection of his.
While my mother wasn't the major disciplinarian, she carried her own influence. I wisely respected a stern word. And god-forbid I ever caused her to cry; the guilt was enough to contemplate a cleaning service to scrub toilets for the rest of my life.
Mostly, my parent's subtly influenced me. Because of our close relationship, I wanted to make my parent's proud. They deserved that much for all they had given me. Becoming successful and doing well were ways to show my parents how much I appreciated their love.
Then again, maybe drawing my mother first was an unconsious reference to the ice-cream store days. My parents owned an ice-cream shop for a few years. We referred to my dad, whose dream it had been to own his own business, as 'da boss'. My mom, who had never in any way, shape or form really wanted the store, we nicknamed 'da real boss.' We meant no slight to my father. He conceptualized what he wanted the store to be. He was the creator, but my mom kept the store running. Working part-time, she spent her free hours in the store cleaning, doing inventory, compiling the schedule (a chore no human being should suffer) and writing the paychecks. We turned to her with every-day problems, and she managed to be everywhere at once.
My father contributed with his hands. He was a great fix-it man. When he wasn't crashing through glass tables, he kept down expenses by mechanical work with machines and wiring. We also turned to him for any firing or other job that required intimidation. If you know my dad well, you realize he's all bark and no bite. But if you're not familiar with him...his gruff exterior and patented 'Joe Gallo' glare can be daunting.
I would have to say that my parents worked as a team, which was integral to the store's survival.
