So much of who I am is rooted in my family. How I was raised, how I was loved, how I knew all along that the support of my parents could reach me when I was at rock bottom or below.
Now that is a blessing and a privilege.
Spending a weekend with my mom shows me the brighter side of the coin: how joyful it is to just be together and have fun. We spend more time painting visions for the future than spreading balm on the wounds of the past. I love that about my mom. Even when I was a child, she took what I said seriously. I think it gave me faith in my voice that saved me in the foggier moments.
For our two days together, we stay in downtown Chicago, walking Millennium Park and wearing out the shops on Michigan Avenue. We get rained on and then get ice cream. Really good ice cream. We talk about work and kids and my brother’s wedding and Door County and kids again because I can’t shut up about them. We link arms and hold hands and walk miles and miles of city blocks, eventually laden with bags from Ann Taylor, J Crew, and Orvis.
It was a short trip, but a full one. It reminds me to be intentional about the time I have with people I love, whether it’s a cabin in the woods with my friends or a metropolitan weekend with my mom. I am so lucky. I am so lucky. I am so lucky.
With Love,
Natalie