The following is a short excerpt from my new book, Spinning in Circles and Learning from Myself: A Collection of Stories that Slowly Grow Up. It is a celebration of Mothers alongside a nod in honor of the forever-ness of growing up.
Happy Mother's Day!!!
When
I was a little girl I would watch my mom closely, seeing her as a
beautiful example of what it is to be a grown-up. For some reason I
mostly focused on her hands wrapped around never ending coffee mugs. Her
slender, pretty fingers were so different from my short
chubby ones. And the look of reflective calm that came over mom with
the first few sips of each steaming cup of that grown-up beverage seemed
to me the epitome of adulthood. Watching my mom I knew that it was wonderful to be a grown-up!
Our
kids are watching us. They're making observations and connections that
we may never be aware of. So I suggest we do our best to always be an
adult we are proud of, someone that makes being grown up look fun and
free, kind and reflective, healthy and happy!
Now that my sisters, brothers and
I are grown, I notice we all pretty much adore gathering together for
adult conversation and forever flowing pots of coffee! My brothers--who
were once on the spectrum of autism and
appeared to have
absolutely no interest in anyone other than themselves and their
obsessions--now call me up to see if I have time to sip and chat.
One
of the most prevalent habits among all of us now grown kids is a desire
to find time for coffee and conversation. It makes us feel connected,
we discover hidden truths about each other, and we laugh! Boy do we
laugh!
So as I sit and sip my adult brew, and look far off into myself, I feel as though I am mostly grown-up. I see a bit of my mom in me, and that's beautiful!
And when I look down at my still short and chubby fingers I am reminded that I will always have more growing up to do. I see a bit of only me in me! And I smile.
I smile.
____________
If you'd like to read more musings and celebrations on topics ranging from parenthood to sexual awareness to poverty, I invite you to purchase the book. It is available at many online stores. This link will take you to Spinning in Circles and Learning from Myself: A Collection of Stories that Slowly Grow Up on Amazon. Again, Happy Mother's Day!!
As the mother of four wonderful teenage boys Tsara spends a lot of time figuring out who she is so she can teach her sons to do the same. She also hears herself holler, "Stop Eating!" an awful lot! As her boys get older, she gets louder while (more...)