OK, so it's been about a month since I've posted anything. Life comes at you fast and if you don't take the time to stop and smell the roses (or any flower for that matter) you miss out!
I finally stopped! When the dust started to clear, it occurred to me that the flowers that are in season right now are, quite remarkably, very fitting.
So the word of the month is Mum. Not in just the stereo typical fashion. The first sense of the word is the obvious. MUMS! These pretty yellow flowers are sitting on my front porch as I write this. With the daily grind being on a continuous rotation lately, Rich and I finally took this weekend to bring some beauty into the house and brighten up the front porch with colors of the season.
There are so many beautiful colors and versions of Mums. It was hard picking out what to buy and display on the porch but Rich was out of the car and pulling plants together before I even got my seat belt unhooked! We both do a lot of driving and see a lot of different landscapes but he's been talking about Mums for weeks now. He was like a kid in a candy store!
It's amazing how such simple things bring so much joy and really brighten your day. Had I realized it, I would have done this weeks ago.
I wake up every morning and go check out my beautiful flowers. When I have to drive somewhere, I make sure and pass the front of the house as I drive away so I can enjoy the colorful array of fall.
Does this mean I need to get a life? To the contrary, it's quite the opposite. As busy and crazy as life has been, I realize I indeed DO have a life. Perhaps not as foot loose and fancy free as it used to be, but a life that I can look back on someday feel good about. No regrets.
This brings me to the second sense that the word Mum.
Here in the USA we say Mom but ff I were still living in England, the word would be MUM.
Having Mom here with me has been a learning experience. I no longer work 12 hour days in a salon slaving for clients. In those days, I used to dream of being a full time housewife thinking life would be great just keeping my home, cooking and working on the odd art or decorating project. Isn't the grass greener on the other side? Guess what? I don't know what rose colored glasses I was looking through but ... I HATE BEING A HOUSEWIFE!!! Now I can say this with no malice or even dread because I (like always) use my sense of humor to look at things in a balanced way. If it consisted of house keeping, decorating and art projects I'd probably be in hog heaven.
What does this have to do with my Mum (Mom)? Just when this housewife gig is about to bring me to the brink of losing it, she will bring up an old recipe that we should try, changing the curtains in her room or....fall flowers that would look nice on the front porch! Yeap, I have to admit that Mom made me think of Mums! So I can give her credit not only for my beautiful porch this fall, but for my sanity being maintained during this housewife phase of my life. This is a tough job!
The third and final sense of the word will take a little explaining. Once my lengthy explanation is complete, I hope you will understand the meaning.
Living with family is a challenge in every phase of your life. When you are growing up, sharing a room or a bathroom with a sibling is an adventure. As teenagers, parents embarrass us (in OUR eyes anyway), we think they are idiots or that they don't know as much as we do. This causes stress and tension between parent and child. Eventually we move out and have a roommate or get married. Then adjusting to living with someone other than family presents new challenges.
Somewhere along the line, you grow to understand all of the things your parents, more particularly your Mom, tried to impart to you during the time you absolutely knew she was insane and or the stupidest person on the planet ... (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean...) Presto! The respect she was looking to get from you years ago, arrives! Sadly, this phase is short lived. For some, you may find yourself living under the same roof. That short lived "Mutual Admiration Society" comes crashing down on you!
Now, that person you knew as a young teenager and or young adult is back in your everyday life. Your adult mind goes back to the state it was in before there was the worry of car, house and credit card payments. But you see your Mom and or Dad with your adult eyes and process it in the same pattern your brain was as a teenager. You think to yourself, what happened to that wise person I just got to appreciate? The one who was disgustingly right all along? How do you process this information?
At a time when kindness and dignity are THE most crucial elements in the home, is there a way to keep the peace yet express what you are feeling? It's a tough situation, but in my case, it can be summed up in just one word.....MUM. MUM IS THE WORD! ;)
P.S. - The real fun starts after our parents leave us and we start taking on their traits or they become wise again in our eyes! (sigh)
