Reflecting On Mother's Day

I know that I have been AWOL. Life sometimes gets in the way...this includes my husband, my son and my work. It's all good though. Taking time out to decide who are are and where you want to be is always a good thing. Moreover I am blessed that I have the time and resources to take periodic mental health days. A few weeks ago I went to a wonderful conference and realized that it was time to change direction in my work---I need to make it more current for where I NOW am in my life. Central to that identity is fact that I am a working mother. I'll announce those changes more in the coming weeks as they solidify.

For now, it's important that I reflect on my mother and my grandmothers. It is their love, strength and courage that stand as the foundation of my life. These women in all of their imperfection were my models about how to navigate the world as a Black woman. In some instances their lives were the inspiration for me to move far beyond the limitations that were placed on them because of their race and gender. The difference of decades, expectations and realities makes relationships among women tricky. I think however that we all did the best that we could to stay connected--- given who we were when those gaps appeared.

Overall it is the lessons that they taught me about self-respect, perseverence,intelligence...and yes, financial indepedence that have supported me during challenging times. Sometimes I was hard-headed, but now as a mother with aspirations (and fears) for my own beaming son, I better recognize the values that these phemomenal women were trying to instill in me....the hurts that they were trying to protect me from and the wonderful experiences that they were trying to prepare me to enjoy.

I hope that from their perches in Heaven that they are proud of my efforts to be present in my own life, to love husband, son and friends in a way that honors my truth, helps me to heal my own imperfections and supports their individual growth and evolution.

In their honor, Maya Angelou's poem, "Phenomenal Woman."