Mothers Day Fun
Moms, it's your day: you officially get to look however you want (facials beware) say, share or post whatever you feel like without recourse from kids who get all bent out of shape because they absolutely forbid you to post or say anything that could draw attention to them or embarrass them.
A free pass
You have a forgiveness card that expires by midnight today. For starters, I am going to begin with a rant. Logging on I see Google's image for the day and I stare in horror :: how can a Mother's Day image have dad's tassled shoes? Horror.
Google gasp
How could they? I mean seriously. Any respectful, fashionista mother is a clothes horse and shoe-a-holic. What a big booboo that is beyond kissing better. Yes, we've come a long way from being Betty Crockers in the kitchen. We're a force to be reckoned with if you dare threaten her family and be beneath respectful to her and her kin.
Google could have at the very least posted a pair of flip flops. If they had gone out of their way, they would have found a pair of tasteful sandals that would make any lovely lady of motherhood drool over.
Ohhhh, one in every color day! I hope mothers uniting at least finish reading this commentary before rushing out to do embrace their guilt-free shopping day.
Mom's Brag Book
Ok, Moms, grab that brag book and start posting those photos of your kids, brag about their accomplishments and let er rip! Today is your day to get away with anything day. What the world calls "Mothers Day" is your day to be who you want to be, do what you wanna do and say what you wanna say!
Have your say ::
I'm darn proud of my kids, just like each and every one of us. Some days they challenge me while others they give me bursting pride that I could be responsible for creating such wonderful human beings. Amazing how some of that nagging and guidance pays off.
My son inspires me every day
I was robbed of a normal celebration when he was born. The nurses and doctors scattered and fussed over the minute he was born. Imagine having your newborn with needle marks in his head because they wanted to figure out what was going on. He was born with a rare genetic diagnosis that even specialists couldn't quite predict what life he would have unfold.
A hole in his heart, physically unique footprint, along with a number of other concerns.
Imagine bursting onto the motherhood front and you had to ramp up your protectiveness ten fold, when he was starting sniffles meant you were heading for the emergency department, having heart surgery at 13 months old.
Paul Brandt
Kyle taught me that the cup is always half full. You should never dwell on what ifs and feel joy at all the what as. During one of those emergency trips to the Children's Hospital in Calgary, he was treated to the rare care of a male nurse of all things.
What was even more miraculous was this nurse had just won a singing talent contest in Nashville, Tennessee. Paul has gone on to be the greatest Canadian country artist of all time and to this day (think Juno, think megastar). Paul gave a gift to a scared young mother, his spirit and humor. I remember him sharing things about himself that I share with fondness. One revelation being that he was actually born named: Paul Rennée Belobersycky on July 21, 1972
Paul is lending his celebrity to help victims of the Fort McMurray wild fires, retweeting stories, offering other support. Have a listen to this song that epitomizing the evacuation of this northern oil city:
Today, Kyle is known for his eternal optimism. People, peers, teachers all exclaim: "I love Kyle" whenever his name comes up.
Genetics aside reKNOWN
One would think that a kid with those kinds of challenges, experienced bullying, had life saving surgery, and limitations physically galore, disrespected by employer with only $12.25 an hour after 8 years of service.
Genius reSOUNDing
Kyle has found the voice for the #Mellennial generation. He has the knack for seeing something and sharing it because it hit his coolness radar.
Queer
Mostly oddly are unique and queer: in a way that only the 80s gurus know that queer meant cool at that time in our lives. So strange to discover that a word my generation resonated by would be exhumed to mean something so discriminatory and offensive a word :: eh?
I digressed again ::
I get sidetracked by an insight that is so profound I digress. Let the mind sing and churn out only the "bestofeverything" :: #bestofeverything ::
Appreciation ::
It so easy to fall in love with Kyle :: the love that is universally channeled by motherhood :: sisterhood :: friendship :: cousin :: brother :: when Kyle gets something or anything, he has the magnetic gift of appreciation.
Appreciation is something you can mimic enough that you start to feeling it from deep inside. Emerging a guru who's spell you fell under :: Kyle, @flamesboy4eva get sidetracked by an insight that is so profound I digress. Let the mind sing and churn out only the "bestofeverything" :: #bestofeverything ::
A strong conscience
If there is anything that shows the story behind the story is one person who will emerge:: +Kyle S who has this seemingly giant perception radar on what is horribly unfortunate yet all too apparent in our society: #corruption :: if there is any drum to bang on, Kyle has the uncanny knack for exposing it. He took the guidance of a mother's continued nagging, repeating and repeating: do not complain about your government if you're not prepared to do your civic and democratic right to vote. Fond memory I recall is a discussion amongst my children on a warm summer's day ::
I would always begin with a celebratory atmosphere based merely on a whim :: hardly a birthday or annual event to create such excitement :: where I would set up the table on the patio, put up the Umbrella, in anticipation of the mere pleasure of having company.
Keeping them curious
Politics was something I started talking with my kids early about. It is funny looking back at how each of them have convictions or causes that resonate within each of them :: feminism, corruption, mental health :: began at those early spirited gatherings. I wouldn't have known of any secret motherhood ingredient I was giving my children :: keeping them curious.
Regardless of whether they could vote being that it was a good decade away, they were encouraged to have a voice on what is wrong with this world? The earliest memory of Chantal was the detail I went through with gut-wrenching honesty, the list of items retrieved and inventoried on a list that was to go back to school the next day :: my very first, and maybe the first environmentalists of the #Millennial generation.
Charitable causes the norm
Imagine my pure pleasure and surprise that should give her a pass for having a home that cared about its planet. That is because coffee grounds, vegetables, fruit rinds, peelings, soup, meat, gravy, moldy bread, sour milk, burt something, failed recipe, were always put garburator to work. The cans were rinsed in a Rubbermade bucket (long before the engenius inventor of a blue recycle bin, talk about explosive idea for this generation to the next). I am definitely sure that it was before plastics were recycled except milk 2 litres recycling at bottle depots. That was before grade schools asked for donations of buckets for crafts and pop caps for charitable causes were even considered BTW (twitter-ese for 140 characters or less).
A louder voice
These open ended hearty discussions were encouraged and embraced. Looking back now, I see how it could boost Kyle's confidence that his opinion mattered and was his purest gift :: if there is a cause that is because of corruption, you will not hear a louder voice.
Good stock
Kyle is at the front of the line recognizing the attributes he inherited from his parents :: from me he says my outgoing friendliness and optimism :: times at least a dozen. From his father, a work ethic, financial responsibility, and commitment. And just this Mother's Day Kyle is confidently sharing the gifts he received from his stepfather named "Rob". He said it was his sarcastic, dry humor. That, and the fact that they both seem to like the same games and are gamers together.
Talk about wisdom
If you are having trouble communicating with your Millennial sons, and the admitted desire to want to reach out and connect, you should try the ingredient that Rob and Kyle have discovered :: you can't go merely through the motions however. You have to dedicate yourself like you have never before to find a way you will enjoy gaming with a world to uncover.
It is a secret world
Where escapism meets participation via gaming. A social (perhaps hidden) personality who had more to give and share by unmasking imagination and team work. Where the testosterone is checked at the door. Where men could safely become men and male examples rise to the top.
To be continued ...... (daughters beware)
