my mom, Sam & me
It's 4:00 in the afternoon on Sunday and I just woke up from this amazing and intense dream. Sam and Ian are still napping. A rare family nap! So great. The windows are open and it's raining outside. A perfect napping day. Anyway, back to my dream. I dreamed that Ian, Sam and I won a trip to go around the world in one day. We must have been on the Concord because how else would that be possible, right? But I guess I shouldn't get into the logistics. It was so great though because I remember everything in the dream. At one point we were swimming in Australia and the water was a deep wine color and the waves were flat slabs that kind of looked like Jello. And, I remember that my mom was there too. It was such a wonderful feeling to float in that thick water. And Sam could magically swim on his own even though he isn't even two yet! And part of the dream was me waking up and asking my husband if it really did happen because it was too amazing to be true. And he said "Yes, honey, it actually happened." Imagine my disappointment when I actually did wake up.
So, it got me thinking that in my perfect dream where my family was swimming in these exotic waters that my mom was there too and it inspired me to do my first giveaway. Because I am so lucky to have such an amazing mom and such an amazing son. So...I'm really feeling Mother's Day this year.
The giveaway will be 2 of my Mother's Day prints seen in this post. The winner will get to choose which 2 prints. And all you have to do is comment on this post and say a little something about your mother or what being a mother means to you. It doesn't have to be an essay. I just thought it would be nice to read the comments. The winner will be chosen at random by my mom who is visiting this week. I will announce the winner on, of course, Mother's Day.
Happy Mother's Week!
Basically, if my mother hadn't been so driven to provide for her family and lead by example, I don't think I'd be where I am today. It was because of her that I went to college and because of her that I do whatever it takes to provide for my family now. I will some day be lost without her friendship.
ReplyDeleteI think that dream was telling you that you should come and visit us in Australia! Unfortunately the ocean isn't quite like that, but it's pretty cool anyway :)
ReplyDeleteMiranda xx
Being a mother to me means responsibility which is an emotion I never really expected to feel all that much. I expected to feel love, happiness, joy and sometimes frustration, impatience, etc. but responsiblity never really crossed my mind. Recently my husband and I went to Mexico and decided to leave our little boy at home with his grandparents. As the date for our trip approached I started to feel really sad and scared about leaving. I'm a bit of a worry wart and I was scared we might not come back. I knew he'd be well taken care of if something did happen to us so that wasn't a huge worry I just felt like we brought him into this world and it was our responsibility to raise him and provide him with parents and a stable life. My responsibility to be his mom was what bothered me the most about leaving.
ReplyDeleteSorry...this did turn into a bit of a novel! Thanks so much for the chance to win some of your prints. They're wonderful!
cookelindy(at)hotmail (dot) com
Being a mother means having some truly wonderful kids who leave me in awe and who inspire me! My mother's pretty incredible, too!
ReplyDeleteLike a writer said once about mothers when her own mom passed away:
ReplyDelete"Thank God we only have one; We could never get over the pain of loosing her twice."
Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there and to you Melissa.
What a great reason to delurk! I've so admired your work since finding you through Marissa!
ReplyDeleteI'm the mom of three (ages 10, 12, 14) and can only say being a mom is the most challenging thing I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. Some days, I feel like I am doing everything wrong and they'll all be in therapy some day, but then there are those days, when I see a random act of kindness or compassion between them, and I know they're going to be just fine. Those moments are priceless.
Thanks for the opportunity to reflect and hopefully win your beauteous art!
Tammy
I'm back Melissa. I wrote a little note about one of your pieces, "Ebb", on my blog. If you want to check:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.veronicadiago.blogspot.com
Thanks !
Amongst many, many things I think one of the greatest gifts my mother has given to me is allowing me to follow my own path with no judgement or disappointment- just her continued support.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely Giveaway. Thanks Melissa!
i love coming home to my apartment and finding little bags hanging from my doorknob filled with grocery essentials and random trinkets that my mother has picked up for me. its little things like this that remind me how lucky i am to have someone who loves me so much and thinks of me often.
ReplyDeleteI loved the comment haiku left--I have 3 children as well, 2, 4 and 6 years old. Some days I cry because of how beautiful it all is, and other days I cry because it is such a tough job. Once they are all in bed, I calm down and then soon enough, start to miss them!
ReplyDeleteMy mom is amazing because she knows what to say, when to say it. She doesn't tell me what I want to hear all the time, but Is always honest with me and can figure out how to handle me as I progress further into teenage-hood, even though I am the oldest. She's my best friend and I am so thankful to have someone who gets me when I need her to, disciplines me when I do something wrong, and makes me feel 100,000% when I feel like 0. My worst nightmare would to have to let her go.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way for me to even try to sum up what my mom means to me or all she has done. She has taught me so much about being a good person and about finding joy in life, wherever it may be. Because of her, my biggest goal in life has always been to have children and to be as good a mom as she is.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I visit home, I can never leave without my mom pushing bags of random items into my hands. Sometimes they are special gifts she's chosen, other times it might just be something she's decided to pass along, and almost always there are snacks for the road, if not full bags of groceries or garden vegetables. These are accompanied by many fervent "travel safes" and promises to call as I stagger out the door under the extra weight. It is "emotional baggage" in the best of all possible ways. They might be treasured possessions or borderline junk, but they're always there, a symbol of all the invisible, silken ties that bind me to my mom. I live on the other side of the country now, but no matter where I go, pieces of home always come with me.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful family portrait. You are all so lovely. Happy almost mother's day to you both!
ReplyDeleteOh shoot. I see I was supposed to write something about what motherhood means to me. Well... right now it means that I must go pick up dinner because I'm too exhausted to cook. Other than that is means PURE LOVE. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Mother's Day Melissa! Mother's Day is so special to me. My beautiful boy, Jake, my only son is adopted. He was and is an unexpected gift and has been the light of my life. He is all grown up now - 21 and even tho there were a few years that I felt he no longer needed or loved me, he really always did...he's grown in to a lovely young man and being his mom has been the best surprise and experience of my life!
ReplyDeleteTeresa
art & light
Hey Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of you 3!
How beautiful! And your dream was amazing.
I just talking about my mom (she passed away few years ago) yesterday and how good she was with me when I was growing up. For years she was so there, always showing up with kindness, love and support..and I want to celebrate that!
Have great mothers day!
My mother has always been a terrific support and my greatest cheerleader. I hope to be like her someday. She lives far away now, and I miss her. By the way, Melissa, I just discovered your art. Love it!
ReplyDeleteIn the past year I became a mother to a beautiful little girl named Abiah. I look at her and feel this amazing love for her- not because of what she can do, but just because of who she is to me- my daughter. To me she is perfection in human form. And this is the way every mother feels about their child. This is the way my mom felt (and still feels) about me. No matter what, she will always love me- simply because I am her daughter. So to me this is what being a mother means- have that "mom love" that is amazingly unconditional and true.
ReplyDeleteA Jewish proverb says that God couldn't be everywhere so He created mothers. As a son and husband, I can testify that both my mom and my wife are completely awesome mothers. Happy Mother's Day! You moms are crazy cool!
ReplyDelete