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A Parent is Someone Who Loves You Enough to Parent You

Me and my beautiful mom. She’s my parent. My dad too, but she’s prettier!

A parent is someone who loves you enough to parent you and that’s the topic of the latest episode of Flaws Are the New Black . My feeling is that those who love you enough to do the hard work of saying go to bed, put your phone down, study or you’re not going out this weekend, are your parents. That person could be your mom and dad. Could be the mother of your best friend, your aunt, or your grandpa. Whoever LOVES you that much, so much that sometimes you hate them and they don’t care, that person is your parent. For me, it’s my mom and dad. But it doesn’t have to be that way and it isn’t that way for everyone.

What I witnessed at Wendy’s memorial service

Recently, I attended a beautiful memorial service for my friend, Wendy, and was so deeply touched by the number of her sons’ friends who stood up to talk about how when they had no one, their parents for whatever reason had dropped out of their lives, Wendy stepped in to parent them. She mothered them. Loved them. Fed them to within an inch of their lives. She stepped in and parented them. That’s what I’m talking about. There was no way those young men were falling through the cracks on her watch.

Who’s your parent?

Maybe it was your mom and dad. Maybe it was your aunt, a cousin, your best friend’s mom or dad. Whoever it was, embrace that person. Tell them right now, before another moment goes by, how much they mean to you. Use that device we’re all enamored with — the cell phone — to make a real, live phone call. And simply say thank you, I love you, I wouldn’t be here today without you.

A note of thanks from me, to you

To all of you who’ve re-subscribed to my blog posts (because I had a bit of a snafu and lost all my subscribers — eek!), to all of my friends from Ridgefield, New Jersey, Mount St. Mary’s University (hi Kaitlyn!), and dozens of others who’ve subscribed to Flaws Are The New Black, thank you so very much. Thank you for your comments and compliments, likes and shares. Your presence on this journey lets me know that what I have to say, need to say, means something. And that means everything to me as a writer.

Now go, pick up the phone, and thank your parent (or parents). You’ll thank me.

Love,

Susan

PS Please share Flaws Are The New Black with your friends and ask them to SUBSCRIBE. And please keep up with me on Facebook too. I promise, there’s never a dull moment!

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A week with my mom

Casey, my 6’5″ son, hugging my super petite mom.

I’m blessed to have spent a week with mom or, as many of you know her, Dame Joan. We haven’t done a lot, frankly because she has a tough time walking for any length of time, but I think it says a lot about our relationship that we don’t have to do anything to enjoy each other’s company.

We did have dinner with my sweetheart, Robert, at one of our favorite places, Cafe Torino, and another night we dined with my dearest besties Sandra, Jenn, and Lisa at Rockwood, but for the most part we hung out. My mom with her iPad and books, me with my laptop and work. Sometimes we talked a lot, nonstop. Other times we just sat, across from each other, keeping each other company. My mom drinking her diet green tea, me drinking coffee, then water, then of course, at 5pm on the dot, wine.

She is my best friend. I can and do tell her everything.

About my sons, my job, my relationship. About my fears (of getting sick, and why wouldn’t I have such a fear? I’ve seen it happen first hand), my hopes (of doing good things with my TED Talk, of writing another book), and my crazy aversions (to buying a good set of pots and pans, I mean, I’m 57, can’t cook worth a damn, and date a man who prefers to eat out – thank God! Why would I make such an investment in a room – I believe they call it the kitchen – I spend no more time in than it takes to make and pour my coffee?)

My mom and I have always been able to spend time together, saying nothing, just sitting comfortably across from each other, doing our own thing. It has been like this since I was in high school. I’d come down to the kitchen in the morning and she’d already be at the table with her coffee and her lists, and I’d pour my coffee and sit down next to her with my lists, too. I commuted to college, so our morning “meetings” continued for those four years as well.

And then…

Then came the rest of my life. A real job. Marriage. Children. A major move to a new place. A death. A divorce. And here we are. Back where we began.

I’ve loved this week with my mom. We haven’t done a lot, and yet we’ve done so much. Talked, laughed, gossiped, shared sad stories and silly memes, reminisced about my brother David, the Christmas dinners and wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day parties we had at the house, the friends and neighbors we loved and miss. I’ve been silly and she’s responded (as she always has), “Susan, watch your mouth!” to which I’ve responded (as I always have), “Wait! I’ll get a mirror.” She even came with me to get my hair lopped off and cheered me on as I finally, after all her years of encouragement, embraced my face.

“You know,” I said, “you always told me – “

“You look better with your hair off your face,” she said.

It only took me ’til I was pushing sixty to see she was right. She’s always right. Always has been, always will be. That’s my mom. Gotta spend another week – or six – with her again soon.

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Am I Making a Fool of Myself?

So, whatever you want to do, just do it. Making a fool of yourself is absolutely essential. – Gloria Steinem

Am I making a fool of myself? Since launching my blog in 2006 and sharing every funny, unfunny, silly, sometimes super stupid thought that crossed my mind, I have never once wondered if I was making a fool of myself. In fact, I didn’t care of I was making a fool of myself. When people asked why I shared as openly as I did (and still do), I said, if I’m feeling this way or going through this thing, someone else is, too, and I want them to know they’re not alone.

The point is, I didn’t question what I had to say. And these days I find myself longing for those days.

These days, when I sit down to write or vlog, I find myself wondering if I’ve overstayed my welcome, if it’s asking too much of people like you, who’ve been on this ride with me for so long, to join me for yet another incarnation of myself.

She’s blogging! She’s on YouTube! She’s giving a TED Talk! She’s selling Pure Romance (quick, who needs more Coochy?)! She’s on her ‘special needs‘ soapbox! She’s, she’s, she’s.

I’ve always been a firm believer in second, third, and fourth acts, in pursuing what makes us passionate. But for the first time ever, I’m wondering if I’m making a fool of myself.

Of course by tomorrow or next week, I’ll probably be back to not giving a hoot if I’m embarrassing myself. I’ll be back to my usual position of “I write, say, share what I share because I care.” (And because we all know I can’t help myself.) Thanks for staying on this journey with me, and putting up with the things I ponder.

Love, Susan