Taste of Summer

I tricked her. I went in her room while she was studying and said, 

“Come out here and be with me, …and unload the dishwasher.”

Luckily she wants to spend time with me. She didn’t however like the idea of doing the dishes, but she did it anyway. I was getting ready to prepare dinner and wanted her company.

She retorted, “Let’s empty it together.”

Deal.

She unloaded and handed them to me while I put them in their place. Then we switched without exchanging words because she was closer to the place the dishes belonged.  We danced and flowed from dishes to conversations about our day, while we began to cut up fruit and prep dinner.

She cut. I boiled. She stirred. I chopped. She drained the noodles. I spiralized the zucchini and carrots. We go well together.


Afterwards, I sat down to relax. She followed me. We read and worked side by side. 

She got up and decided she wanted to bake. I followed her back into the kitchen.

She baked. I admired. She shared. I tasted.


We all gathered in the small space together and I called for a group hug. They thought I was crazy. I know they are growing up but they’re still all my babies. So we hugged. In that moment. For a second, because they know their mom is crazy!


Summer is almost here. I can almost taste it.

Can’t wait!

🙂 

Are You Happy?

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Happiness is “simple.” We just have to follow this little flow chart.  I don’t think we should always expect to be happy though. Sometimes we need to wait until we’re ready to change again.  I think being aware that we are unhappy is healthy too.  We just have to decide how long we want to stay where we are.

If this was my own creation, I’d add another arrow leading from “Change Something” back up to the continuos happiness cycle, asking the question again after you change something to determine if that leads to happiness or not. Just because you change something does not necessarily lead to happiness again.  I think we have to always be asking the questions and making decisions, every day. We’re never done.

The only thing that is constant is change.

Today I was happy having a mother daughter date with my teenager. I love that she wants to be with me and that I want to be with her. I love her company and watching her grow up, although today I wanted to slow down time. We both went to get haircuts together. Her hair is curlier than mine and we both had ours blown out and smoothed, the way only a hairdresser can make it shiny and sleek.  Seeing her look so beautiful and grown up made me proud and awe struck again. She looked older and I think I looked a little younger, somehow. It’s weird to see me in her and her in me.

Celia made me think of parenthood this week with her FB post that said:  “When you become a parent, you stop being the picture and become the frame.”  Looking at Juliana today, I saw the picture developing and love my role as the loving boundary and frame.

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I am happy.

Sisterhood

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I love women.

I love how we lift each other up and support one another.

I love how we laugh and cry together and just understand.

I love how we celebrate each other and see the good.

I love how we learn from each other and are role models for one another.

I love how we share our babies, our stories, our fears and our struggles, and our friendship.

I love how we get together to exercise, eat, drink, party, cook, work, shop and play together.

I love how we text and chat and share photos and jokes and laughs and advice and fat stories!

I love how our lives are intertwined and how we are rooted together, both near and far, through our common values and goals.

Love you girlfriends! You inspire me. Thank you for being you. Keep up the good work! xo