The Hunt for Love

Mornings are quiet.  I'm an early riser, and we are homeschoolers so the kids usually sleep later than I do.  That's one of the perks a parent enjoys when the children approach the teen years: quiet mornings.  I admit however, that I often miss, with bittersweet and tender thoughts, the crazed mornings, waking up to the sounds of soft cries from a hungry infant, or the sweet sound of the toddlers whispering "Mama, wake up".  Alas every stage of parenthood has it's bittersweet memories as well as new pleasures.  So, I accept their slumber without needing me for immediate attention, as I transition into a life that welcomes me to concentrate on work, even if only for a couple of hours in the morning :)

This morning was different.  When I sat down to my computer this morning, I found a note on my keyboard, directing me to find another note, which directed me to another, and another.  It was a miniature scavenger hunt, laid out by my youngest, my eleven year old son.

What was the final destination? What was the final note?
I wondered if this was a cute way for him to ask for something.  What was it? Pancakes for breakfast? A drive to his friend's house?  A new app for his iPod?  No.  My child just wanted to tell me....
that he loves me.

Wrapped in the final note I found one of our glass coasters with the word "Love" imprinted.

So this post became my 'work' this morning, after I savored the moment, and being one of these people who like to express emotion in writing, my first task of the day is to share how extraordinarily lovely my little boy is and how meaningful and wonderful it is to be a Mom.


I also left a little note-hunt for him :)

Life is fun.  Life is good.

Confession:  I sometimes wonder about my sense of purpose, my talent and potential to contribute to the world, and then I realize that no matter what else I decide to do with my life as my kids become adults - being their Mama is more rewarding than any other endeavor - ever!

♥

My Kids Will Not Use Facebook or Drink Starbucks: And Other Lies Parents Tell Themselves

Confession:
When my children were younger, and before they discovered social media, or had any desire to use any social media websites, I used to verbally lambaste the modern craze; and insist that children do not need to be connected to social media because it was potentially dangerous and unnecessary, and MY children do not and will not use it. (imagine with high-pitched, haughty windbag voice)

I was full of sh*t.  Well, the thing was that at the time, I wasn't.  I fully believed what I was saying, but I was naive,  The naivety however, wasn't insofar as motherhood inexperience, but simply in myself, not realizing that as much as I knew, I knew nothing; and as smart as I was, I wasn't.  And none of us are - no matter how much we are.  Confused?  Simply put: Life happens in phases and every phase brings a new set of circumstances to navigate with different landscape, different rules and different tools.  We learn as we go and intellectual arrogance is a faux pax.

But lets get back to the point...

First Confession

Here is why I started this blog: 

Because I read somewhere that it's best to be authentic.  Maybe I wrote that too, once upon a time, but the difference is that I was full of shit when I wrote it, although, in my own defense, I didn't know it until later.
I am a communication consultant - and I erased that statement twice and retyped it because here is how my thoughts happen:

I shouldn't say that because it makes me sound stupid.  If I communicate for a living this all might screw up my image.
My image? What is my image?  What am I trying to do?  The whole point of THIS blog is to be ME and express that in raw, naked authenticity. 
Why do I even need to share that with the world?  I don't really know, but I know that I need to.  I should.  I am called to.  Called? Hmm... Well on with some prolific tapping of the keyboard.  

Authenticity.  What does that mean?  It means genuine, real.  Not a faker or a poser or a phony.  So basically it is something none of us actually are; not 100% of the time anyway and you know, that's okay.  For real!

And that is what I'm going for here.  

Here is how it all unfolded: