I have a special relationship with my mother. To put it very simply -- I would want her as my friend if she weren't my mother She is kind and patient, adventurous and open-minded. She has an amazing capacity to forgive, and will always focus on the positive side of every situation. There is never a shortage of things to discuss, ideas to ponder, or places to dream about together. She "gets" me, in a way not many other people, besides my husband, do. And boy does she love her grand babies.
One of the things I admire the most about her is her desire for travel and adventure. Together, we have taken many trips together -- driven thousands of east coast miles, explored the Grand Canyon and the Red Rocks of Sedona, spent nights sleeping in my nanny-quarters in Martha's Vineyard, ran through a hail storm in London, and dined in hidden cafes deep in Paris. Every place I lived, every long adventure I took, my mother was there to experience a piece of it with me. Some trips together have been life changing, some have had their blunders which we now laugh about, but each journey together solidified a mutual respect for each other's personal desire to experience life and be open to it in all shapes and forms.
Many many years ago my siblings affectionately started to refer to us as "Thelma and Louise". Cheesy, yes, but the nicknames stuck. And recently, Thelma and Louise shared yet another adventure together here in Barcelona. To have her here, to see what this life is like and experience it with the open mind and spirit I know she has, was everything to me. I have thought daily, "my mother would love this" or "I wish my mom was here to see this". It was almost surreal to have her actually walking the streets and markets right by my side.
I came home from Germany late on Friday night, and at 7:30am the next morning there was a knock on our door, she had arrived! If only I had my video rolling to catch the look on Evan's face. He literally slapped both his hands on his cheeks Home Alone-style while grinning. He was in shock, and looked like Dora the Explorer just walked in. So began our two weeks together in this city we now call home.
It was an incredible couple of weeks -- exactly what I hoped it would be for both her and I. The perfect blend of settling into quiet and laid-back Spanish life, exploring and sightseeing, and time with the family. I won't offer a play by play of the entire two weeks - just to say that it left us both feeling energized and rejuvenated. I think she was truly taken with our neighborhood, the people, and the pace of life over here.
Someone once told me that, as a mother, you have to take care of yourself and always find ways to recharge your batteries, because your children use you to recharge theirs. Those few weeks my mother was in Barcelona, I was reminded you never stop needing your mother -- and the amazing part was that Spain was recharging my mother at the same time she was recharging me :)
2 comments:
most beautifully written and I couldnt agree more- she is truly unique and special!
Love!!!!!!
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