Dianne Bright's Blog - Posts Tagged "parenthood"
A Renewed Friendship
Parenting Tip: Rediscover your own passions and talents; you’re not just a mom!
I looked at her face and couldn’t believe she was one of my closest friends from about five years ago. We used to teach Spanish at the university together. So many months had passed though since we’d even talked or texted.
I almost didn’t recognize her, which was kind of embarrassing. I didn’t want to offend her, as if I’d forgotten her name or something. Of course I knew her name. I called out, “Hey Friend, it’s been a long time!” Then she raced toward me for a hug, as her adorable high-lighted hair bounced against her tan shoulders.
We chatted about how the time had flown by like a matter of seconds– exchanging info about our families and friends. Amazingly, our kids were about the same ages and our husbands even had similar hobbies and career paths.
She just looked so good that I couldn’t believe we were both in our early thirties. Her face looked youthful and her arms and legs looked really fit. I was especially impressed by her energy and zeal for life. She was charging toward goals and felt inspired by activities and aspirations.
Within a few minutes of talking, I became envious of her radiant self-confidence and her refreshing optimism. I felt so distracted by how great my friend looked that I could hardly focus on my own responses.
So I mostly just listened to the words floating out of her beautiful red lips. By the end, we traded Facebook info and caught up on a few gossipy details about colleagues from the past. And then we said goodbye. Even though I felt initially unsettled, I was glad we had bumped into each other.
Those ten minutes in front of the mirror were really awesome. They allowed me to see that I didn’t have to be the lethargic and exhausted mom I’d become. My life was about more than just serving my husband and my three kids.
I knew that I was buried down there somewhere beneath the laundry piles and the dust bunnies. But somehow, I’d let the mounds of dirty dishes and the plethora of days I’d gone without pampering myself to define me as less valuable. My lists of tasks had become about everyone else, so much so– that I’d forgotten how to be me.
That morning, I remembered who I was– beautiful, intelligent, and full of dreams. And the truth is– that life does change dramatically once you add kids to the mix. (We haven’t actually slept, just the two of us, in our own bed for the past decade.) But my life didn’t have to end just because it had changed so much.
I decided to set up a date with my new friend, me. I cleared out some time to rediscover who I was in order to rekindle some of my own personal passions and talents, like taking photographs, gardening, brainstorming book topics in a quiet café, or going out with the gals for a movie. Maybe just one or two evenings a week, but they’re set in stone and even if a natural disaster hits, I’m still going out to Starbucks for a latte. Wanna join me?
Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse--- With a Glass of Merlot
This excerpt is Essay #2 from Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse by Dianne Bright. She wrote for Scholastic for two years before delving into fiction. Her first novel, Soul Reader, came out in the spring of 2015.
I looked at her face and couldn’t believe she was one of my closest friends from about five years ago. We used to teach Spanish at the university together. So many months had passed though since we’d even talked or texted.
I almost didn’t recognize her, which was kind of embarrassing. I didn’t want to offend her, as if I’d forgotten her name or something. Of course I knew her name. I called out, “Hey Friend, it’s been a long time!” Then she raced toward me for a hug, as her adorable high-lighted hair bounced against her tan shoulders.
We chatted about how the time had flown by like a matter of seconds– exchanging info about our families and friends. Amazingly, our kids were about the same ages and our husbands even had similar hobbies and career paths.
She just looked so good that I couldn’t believe we were both in our early thirties. Her face looked youthful and her arms and legs looked really fit. I was especially impressed by her energy and zeal for life. She was charging toward goals and felt inspired by activities and aspirations.
Within a few minutes of talking, I became envious of her radiant self-confidence and her refreshing optimism. I felt so distracted by how great my friend looked that I could hardly focus on my own responses.
So I mostly just listened to the words floating out of her beautiful red lips. By the end, we traded Facebook info and caught up on a few gossipy details about colleagues from the past. And then we said goodbye. Even though I felt initially unsettled, I was glad we had bumped into each other.
Those ten minutes in front of the mirror were really awesome. They allowed me to see that I didn’t have to be the lethargic and exhausted mom I’d become. My life was about more than just serving my husband and my three kids.
I knew that I was buried down there somewhere beneath the laundry piles and the dust bunnies. But somehow, I’d let the mounds of dirty dishes and the plethora of days I’d gone without pampering myself to define me as less valuable. My lists of tasks had become about everyone else, so much so– that I’d forgotten how to be me.
That morning, I remembered who I was– beautiful, intelligent, and full of dreams. And the truth is– that life does change dramatically once you add kids to the mix. (We haven’t actually slept, just the two of us, in our own bed for the past decade.) But my life didn’t have to end just because it had changed so much.
I decided to set up a date with my new friend, me. I cleared out some time to rediscover who I was in order to rekindle some of my own personal passions and talents, like taking photographs, gardening, brainstorming book topics in a quiet café, or going out with the gals for a movie. Maybe just one or two evenings a week, but they’re set in stone and even if a natural disaster hits, I’m still going out to Starbucks for a latte. Wanna join me?
Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse--- With a Glass of Merlot
This excerpt is Essay #2 from Mommy's Hiding in the Treehouse by Dianne Bright. She wrote for Scholastic for two years before delving into fiction. Her first novel, Soul Reader, came out in the spring of 2015.
