The heat settled on her skin

Like an inevitability.

How quickly we forget, she thought.

But she wasn’t just referring to

The blanket of humidity that she

Had slept under most of her life but

Also the Looks she got here in

Deep, deep south Mississippi.

(Deep, so deep, you’d step in water

if you went any further).

She’d lived and traveled in cities

Where the only cultured thing to do was

Not raise an eyebrow at a

White woman and black man

And to coo over the mocha baby.

But not here.

Here, everyone from the hotel manager

To the lady who couldn’t figure out the waffle maker

Gave her The Look.

The Look that made her 21 again,

Defensive, restless, and confused.

Shake it off, she self-scolded.

And then she remembered that nothing mattered

Except the rainbow family she had built.

Long have I yearned for a yoga retreat. This weekend, I get my wish. I’m headed to a 3 day retreat in the mountains, about an hour away from San Diego. Yoga, hiking, taking photos, writing in my journal.no phones, computers or tablets. Or wine. That’ll be hard, but I think it will be good.

After a great family reunion (the Hub’s side) and very long travel schedule, I need some R&R. Even if it means being away from my boys.

I haven’t even thought about what I want to get out of it. I’ve been working so hard lately, I can’t seem to clear my head. Guess that’s a good goal, eh?

Wish me luck and namaste. Shutting off from the outside world may prove to be a greater challenge than I’m up for.

To celebrate Mother’s Day, which I will be spending flying back from a visit to my mother in law in Mississippi, I want to share some things I’ve learned from my own mother.

I know everything, so I was shocked when I started seeking my mom’s advice about raising Max. But she’s raised three kids, so she’s a bit more of an expert in that area than me. Whenever I call with something that’s going wrong with him, she reminds me that he’s just a kid, and that he’s been through a lot of changes in the last few years, and that he’ll be fine. I so need to hear that.

After my dad died, she was at a loss as to what to do with herself. When you’ve shared the greater part of your life with someone, who are you afterward? But she’s shown fierce independence at carving out a new life, filling it with volunteering, friends, music and food. I love learning from her that it’s okay to morph into a new kind of butterfly.

Something else I’ve learned from my mom is how rewarding giving can be. She gives and gives (’til there’s nothing left), and she’s known for always helping people. I’m not quite there yet, but I’m finding ways to give.

We’ve really gotten closer over the years, and I cherish our relationship as mother and daughter. I love you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day and birthday!