There was this great moment in M's room when she and my mom started painting together. I've
posted before about how we do this with miss M but my mom stepped in to the experience uninhibited by any notion of what was to happen.
It was strange and delightful for me to watch them together. Delightful because I knew miss M loves to paint with people and because I know how relaxing and fun it is to participate in this exercise. Strange because I don't think I've ever seen my mom paint before. As a kid, she liked to fore go any of her artistic tendencies and default talent to my dad. Though she is creative, she is more well-known for her coined phrase, "you do nice work;" as she hovered over one of us kids doing the most mundane task, such as creating a garage sale sign (as a mom now I understand and appreciate the support).
In any case, I watched her thinking she would never have done that with me as a kid. None of it would have happened in the first place: the water colors... in the bedroom, the bare feet, the ease of the moment. I can recognize now she had a million-and-one things to do: pick-up/drop-off, clean, prepare dinner, etc. and it would have been hard to slow down with six kids int he mix. She also didn't have exercise and yoga to help her find her breath and slow down in those moments (though typing it now I realize she had her faith, which is probably her exercise/yoga).
Miss M was just doing her thing and having a great time as always. But I could see the sheer enjoyment on my mom's face as I watched her in the moment. She enjoyed it very much. She said she never got to do that when she was younger and followed it with, "This is why I have grandchildren, to relive my youth."
