Mother's Day
It's surreal celebrating Mother's Day for the third year now.
Lately I've met numerable circumstances where my personal views on parenting have been challenged. Anyone who knows me can vouch for me being that talkative, overly bubbly individual. In these situations I find myself listening and analyzing in silence. You see it all over social media, advertisements, etcetera; the idea of family is incredibly glamorized. This is true at a superficial glance. Any mother (or father) can run through a list of struggles associated with raising a family. Finances, terrible two tantrums, lack of sleep, life balance... to name a few. But aren't the imperfections what constitute meaning in life? I talked to a girl recently who mentioned "for every cute dinosaur moment," her son has five screaming tantrums. She went on to talk about how difficult being a parent is, how life changes completely. Your life isn't yours anymore. Let me first stop and say she is not a bad mom for saying this. I may not know her personally well, but the love between mother and child is indescribable. Your child becomes your oxygen. A reason for everything you do. A new found purpose. Your own attitude and perception is where it counts. Yes, billboard ads of the perfect family life are farfetched, but my own life has now been glamorized by being blessed with a child! Parenthood is a whole lot of patience saturated with love. Sure, being a single parent at age 21 means I can't go out to the bars every weekend with other college kids, and finding a babysitter to do other activities not fit for Ayden can be difficult. I could care less about bars, for starters, and if it's something I can't take Ayden to, I simply miss him and wish he was there instead! The title of mom doesn't have to be a barrier. If anything, it should constitute as inspiration to expand your horizons! I try to put myself in Ayden's shoes, recollecting instances I've faced in my own childhood. A young child is never trying to increase your hardship. When they react in ways other than smiles and giggles, it's important to identify the stressor and take into consideration how they actually feel. Of course, they're learning and not everything will go their way. It comes down to the fact we're all human though, and that regardless of age or size, we develop from within together. So when Ayden goofs up, I don't get mad. He learns what he does wrong, but he doesn't have to be afraid of my reaction. I believe it plays a vital role in how we share such an intense bond. The life I've always known is comprised of pure happiness. I want his life to be happiness too.
We make each other glamorous.
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We spent Mother's Day hanging out with our family in the woods!
My parents live just north of the Baraga Plains, our natural home. My dad grew up in the Ford model town of Alberta, about 8 miles outside of L'Anse. Because of this, I too know every two tracker by heart. My mother is a fiber artist, specializing in basketry. We hit a recently logged spruce stand to collect roots of the dying trees as a medium she uses in her work. I'm currently working on a series that elaborates on her art process. I've always been incredibly blessed to have a mother so involved in the arts and knowledgeable of the land, despite the U.P. not being her native grounds. I feel her unique gift and love for the natural world provided a unique childhood experience for both my sister and I. It's Ayden's turn to thrive in this beautiful life we know.
