Gathering and Reshaping the Bits

I'm a member of an online networking group called "mums the word" on ning. I read a blog post today from a mum in South West Scotland talking about how mothers wear many hats each day ranging from the mundane to the really emotion-wracking and still remain to keep it “together.”

We get our own eyes open for a moment, our "fashion expert" whips up an outfit out of nothing, our "wife" kisses the husband, our "nurturer" snuggles with the little face that appears bedside, our "groomer" gets the hair bows fastened, our "cook" makes the lunches, our "teacher" prods the homework completion, our “counselor” assures our little girl that Sophia really doesn’t “hate her” and even if she does, one need not quit kindergarten over it, and then our "career lady" shifts gears into work mode (was there a shower somewhere in there??)

Somehow, most of us are able to maintain an amazing appearance of decorum even though our insides might be blown all to bits. As we move through motherhood, wearing all the hats that appear in front of us... sometimes we choose them, sometimes we just wear a hat unknowingly... following the moment, flowing with the need at hand.

But who, indeed, is there when WE fall apart? With whom can we feel safe and coddled in the moment when we're all used up?

I had a moment like this last December. I called my great aunt. I needed to be heard and when I said the words, "there is something on my heart," I fell to tears. I immediately thanked her for being on the line to hear me, to be with me and to hold the space for whatever came next. I was in bits and pieces all over, but she neither stopped me nor tried to sweep up nor order my pieces. She simply let me be there. And she wept with me. She didn't try to make my emotion smaller, or less upsetting. She didn't say, "That’s just the way it goes." She didn't try to fix it. She was empathetic and somehow hugged me back together even though she was over a thousand miles away.

It's finding your "person" or group of people who let you be right where you are and let you talk your way through the "scattered" times. Often they help you know that sometimes being all blown apart helps to reorder everything in even better shape once back together again.

What puts you back together again? A person? A place? A prayer?

WAHM I AM - short tribute the Theo Geisel

In honor of one of my favorite authors (who's birthday happens to be one short week prior to my own...)

I am WAHM.
WAHM I AM.

That WAHM I AM. That WAHM I AM!
I do not like that WAHM I AM!

But do you like how she works for the fam?


That's all I've got... I'm on hold with Yahoo customer service after a long day. Perhaps one of you could add on?

Enjoy.