The Purchase That Made Reese Witherspoon Realize She Was Like Her Mom

You know that saying, “Like mother, like daughter?” Well, there’s a reason it’s so widely used.

Many of us recall thinking at a young age, I’m never going to be like my mother when I grow up. And yet, here we are, reflections of the very person we thought didn’t understand what we were going through—only to realize later on in life that they went through it, too. And what’s more wild is that we morph into our mothers as life goes on, who our teenage versions swore never to be like.

In Reese Witherspoon‘s new book Whiskey In A Teacup, she confesses to this same realization in the form of a flea market purchase. “Recently I came home from the flea market with a little frog soap dish,” Reese said. “It was so jaunting, so charming, in the way it caught the sun. I loved its character and its little hat and its…Oh, dear God, I thought in a flash of horror, I’ve become my mother!”

In a passage titled “Flea Market Strategies,” Reese shares her childhood memories of going on family outings, where her mother got little ceramic animal figurines to add to her growing collection. Reese and her brother, John, were always given allotted money to purchase something, too, where their shopping habits starting showing at a young age. (Reese would also spend her money on a self-purchase immediately, while her brother would save it. You do you, Reese!)

Over the years, Reese has kept the tradition alive with her own kids, giving them a small allowance to spend or save as they wish. She says that not only are flea markets perfect for finding vintage items for cheap, but are also “a great way to have a fun-for-the-whole-family day out.”

And it’s a friendly reminder that your mom raised you to have great taste, too.