Wow...no wonder you turned out to be such a stellar person. This whole post about your childhood had me smiling, especially the parts about talking to your dad after dinner and your mom mimicking Marilyn Monroe. I wish I could have met them.
I have always been fascinated by the word "family." To get away from the tension in our house I used to walk for hours through our neighborhood at night looking at the people moving back and forth in front of their windows. Sometimes, in the heat of the summer, people would leave their windows open and I could hear their conversations. I loved that - loved seeing people just going about their daily lives.
I realize now that I never really had a family in the traditional sense. It was never safe, never comforting, and the love was always conditional. I will say this, however. I got an upbringing that forced me to look at what I call "the human drama." I never wanted to repeat what I grew up with and that gave me a place to start when crafting who I wanted to be in this world.
Your description of motherhood is entrancing. I hope you will consider writing about it - really. I know it is a common experience, but we really do need stories that help us examine and understand those experiences. I think you would do that beautifully. This line was especially touching for me: "It’s a kind of love that seems endless, I can’t imagine what would break it." You have me thinking about my mom who, for all her poor choices, co-dependencies, and confusion about who she had birthed, loved me deeply. One of the last things she said to me before she passed was, "I hope you know I love you by now. I always will." Nothing, even death, can take that from me.
Okay, I am off to listen to Lee Ann Womack. The other two are old and cherished favorites. Thank you Molly. HUGS.
P.S. Do you prefer Molly or Molly Beth? Been meaning to ask.
Wow...no wonder you turned out to be such a stellar person. This whole post about your childhood had me smiling, especially the parts about talking to your dad after dinner and your mom mimicking Marilyn Monroe. I wish I could have met them.
I have always been fascinated by the word "family." To get away from the tension in our house I used to walk for hours through our neighborhood at night looking at the people moving back and forth in front of their windows. Sometimes, in the heat of the summer, people would leave their windows open and I could hear their conversations. I loved that - loved seeing people just going about their daily lives.
I realize now that I never really had a family in the traditional sense. It was never safe, never comforting, and the love was always conditional. I will say this, however. I got an upbringing that forced me to look at what I call "the human drama." I never wanted to repeat what I grew up with and that gave me a place to start when crafting who I wanted to be in this world.
Your description of motherhood is entrancing. I hope you will consider writing about it - really. I know it is a common experience, but we really do need stories that help us examine and understand those experiences. I think you would do that beautifully. This line was especially touching for me: "It’s a kind of love that seems endless, I can’t imagine what would break it." You have me thinking about my mom who, for all her poor choices, co-dependencies, and confusion about who she had birthed, loved me deeply. One of the last things she said to me before she passed was, "I hope you know I love you by now. I always will." Nothing, even death, can take that from me.
Okay, I am off to listen to Lee Ann Womack. The other two are old and cherished favorites. Thank you Molly. HUGS.
P.S. Do you prefer Molly or Molly Beth? Been meaning to ask.