Motherhood

Sometimes I wonder what my children will remember of their childhood. I wonder if they will remember the little rituals we have created -- goofy and serious. I hope that the things we do will carry on into their adolescence and adulthood and then spill over into their life as parents.

That's what happened for me. My parents gave me a great childhood. My dad and I had a rocky relationship in spurts -- especially in the teen years, but I'll never forget the silly little things we did that made life feel so exciting. For instance, my mom is a little bit hippie-ish and I remember her pulling my sister and I out of school early to go to rock shows. The other kids in my class were always so jealous. They'd ask us what rock show we were going to and I'd always respond "The Rolling Stones!", hahaha. Little did they know that we were actually going to ACTUAL rock shows... more along the lines of metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous -- and since there were actual rock tumblers at these events -- saying "The Rolling Stones" didn't seem much like lying!

We were weird kids. Happy, free and weird. We used to do interpretive dance in the middle of our court on roller-blades to mix-tapes we recorded and blasted out my bedroom window. My friend and I would "heal" the "sick" trees by stuffing leaves in the knot holes of their trunks every recess instead of playing kickball like the other kids. Strange I know, but life felt so perfect.

I think about how my daughter Banner and how I play the “I love you as much as” game with her where I name the biggest thing I can imagine. I hope she always remembers that she loves me as “big as a T-Rex dinosaur”. Sure she can't quite say that yet... but when I say "dinosaur" she throws her arms up in the air and yells "RAWRRR!". These are such precious moments! I hope that when Banner and AJ are older that they look back they see the love I have in my eyes while I watched them play together. I hope they never question my pride in them. I hope they always know how beautiful I find them, how smart and imaginative. How brave and strong I know they are. I hope that when one of them turns into a teenager they still will play the "I love you game" with me from time to time.

Anyway, that's where my heart is at this morning.

May sunshine and love follow you today!
-Liz