My Mother, My Daughter, My Self and Other Musings

Me at 16, Mom at 17 and my daughter, Meghan, at 15.

"When I grow up, I won't be anything like my mother!" is the oath of many of us especially in our adolescence. And yet 20 or 30 years later comes the startling recognition of "Oh, My Gosh... I'm just like my Mother!" Whether that seems like a blessing or a curse is only for you to decide. I personally am much more ok with it than I use to be. Like it or not, the older I become the less that seems so different between me and my mom. I have grown to appreciate her little quirks and physical issues with the awareness that she wasn't making this all up just for fun!! This is real! I have come to see her in a new light of respect and understanding. I have witnessed the wisdom that has accumulated for her throughout time. She is strong in the sense that she will not do what she knows will harm her body. She has a deep intuition and a growing inner peace that I see more of every year.

I have been moving along the path that my mother has already been traveling although I have fortunately managed to avoid some pitfalls like gall bladder surgery and a partial hysterectomy to name a few. I know that we are not the same person and her body is not my body but we share common ground... more so now than ever. Common experiences (as the ones we have shared through menopause) have bonded us in our solitary yet connected journeys. Along with my daughter, she is my best friend.

My daughter is a grown woman, too. I can hardly believe it. And though I imagine she is still in the "God, please, don't let me be like my mother when I get older" phase, I think she is also blessed with a huge amount of insight and compassion. We are connected in a slightly different way than my mother and I. It's a wonderful giggly kind of connection. Although I can't hold her like I use to and bury my face into her hair when she was small and fit into my lap, I can still get away with squeezing her and planting kisses on her gorgeous grown up woman face. My heart is full.

And so this has been an entry dedicated to the gratefulness I have for the circle of womanhood we share in our family. However, I must include one more person (even though he isn't a woman) I am nonetheless grateful for my Dad! He is receiving a 3 hour IV-drip chelation therapy session twice a week for a total of 25 sessions for a calcificated heart valve. He has changed his diet, cut out all red meat, caffeine, alcohol, salt and processed foods. He exercises every day, eats a vegetarian meal twice a week and the benefits have definately been showing. His dedication is astounding. When he talks about how much he has changed his lifestyle he says, "I want to be here for your Mom." My dad has become my hero.

So, I know it's a little late but ... Happy Thanksgiving and I hope your blessings are many!
Love,
Diane