Luxury Time

This past weekend I spent some alone time with my mother. A luxury that a few years ago I would have considered pentenance. Like most daughters I have had issue with my mother. At times I still do, but in recent years I have come to understand that having a sincere relationship with the woman who gave birth to and raised me isn't something that I should take for granted and/or consider an option to be ignored because there will come a time when it will no longer be an option but a missed opportunity. We made a mutual decision to share quality time with each other at least once every 4-6 weekends.

Saturday night before we went to sleep my mother told me that she is grateful that she and I have gotten to the point in my our relationship where we have honest, truthful conversations she never dared have with her mother. I admitted that I am often surprised by the topics we recently can and do discuss. Our relationship isn't without issue. It is constant work that we both feel is worth the investment of time and effort. More importantly it is work we both are willing to do. Our relationship has allowed me to see her not as my mother, but a woman who lives her life the best way she can and made decisions based on keeping safe and secure her children and her self while still trying to honor the woman she is. This is a balancing act every woman goes through and being able to discuss our journeys while still setting and maintaining parental/child perimeters isn't something either of us takes for granted. Each time we share time together the bond of mutual respect and support deepens and I am grateful for that luxury.

I am a firm believer that very girl's hero should be her mom and every mother should be her daughters cheerleader. Spending time getting to know my hero helps me maintain this belief. This is a luxury I don't take for granted.