She needed a home-cooked meal. When I saw how her mom made that happen — wow.
She was hundreds of miles from home, but her mom knew exactly what she needed.
03.25.15
True
Knorr
<span class="redactor-invisible-space"></span><span class="redactor-invisible-space"></span><span class="redactor-invisible-space"></span>When longtime dog lover Carmen found out that being a husky safari guide in the Arctic was a real job, she was thrilled.
Not many people have an opportunity to guide sled dogs through the Arctic wilderness of Finland. So when this opportunity came along, Carmen's family was super supportive.
So the folks at Knorr hooked her up with a delicious surprise.
They put Carmen's mom on a plane and flew her hundreds of miles from England to the Arctic, where she secretly made Sunday dinner.
Then BOOM — her mom walks out. Surprise!
When longtime dog lover Carmen found out that being a husky safari guide in the Arctic was a real job, she was thrilled.
Not many people have an opportunity to guide sled dogs through the Arctic wilderness of Finland. So when this opportunity came along, Carmen's family was super supportive.
But they were also incredibly sad because that meant that Carmen would be moving far away, indefinitely. Fighting back tears, her mom admitted:
Mom wasn't the only one feeling the emotions. Carmen got the feels too.
And after being outside for 16 hours a day in the freezing cold, home is one of the only things on this adventurer's mind.
"All I want is a home-cooked meal. And I want to be with my family. ... My mom will cook it in the kitchen. And I'll be hovering around."
Sunday dinner is what Carmen misses the most. And it's not just the yummy taste of her favorite dish, it's all about the love that goes into making it.
So the folks at Knorr hooked her up with a delicious surprise.
They put Carmen's mom on a plane and flew her hundreds of miles from England to the Arctic, where she secretly made Sunday dinner.
"I know how she likes it cooked. How I make the gravy. How I roast the potatoes. That's all personal." — Carmen's mom
After it was done simmering, a friend delivered the meal.
Carmen's reaction?
"'Oh, my God. That's great. You've been talking to my mom.' Even though I was hundreds of miles away, it was like I was back home again."
Then BOOM — her mom walks out. Surprise!
This makes me want to call my mom. It's awesome to see someone following their dreams who is still grateful for good food and family.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."