When we were little girls we shared a bed. Talked long into the night about Butterflies and Cavemen. Popped each other's toes.
"Not the big one! Not the big! Noooooo! ...That hurts, stupid!"
And we'd laugh.
The last four nights found us sharing a bed once again. We did not discuss Cavemen and Butterflies. There was no toe popping.
But we laughed.
Cackled, really. Giggles turned to witchy cackles and unseen creatures in the night lurked at our windows to catch a glimpse.
And we cried.
As grown women we discussed matters of the heart. Love. Children. Pain. Family. Spirits. God. Demons. Art. Life. Death. Dreams.
I am in Awe of us. I am in Awe of our Divine Nature. I am in Awe of our Awesome creativity.
Between the two of us we have created 8 children. Eight humans sprung from within us. We nurtured them before and after their births with our own tiny bodies. We continue to shape and mold these gifts from God so they might fulfill the measure of their creation.
Do you see our enormous children? Some of them have grown taller than us.
We simmered our little boys in the couldron of our wombs with slime and snails and puppy dog tails. Because that's what little boys are made of.
Our girls were baked with sugar and spice and everything nice. Because that's what little girls are made of.
I saw them all playing together and said,
"We are human clown cars, Coral. These huge humans lived inside of us and then marched right out! And there they stand! ...With their own brains and ideas and everything!"
I feel too small to have created something so big.
It's Mind Boggling, I tell you! My Mind is Officially Boggled.
Coral's children are my children and my children are hers.
When little Joey-Blue slammed her eye on the slide at the park she ran to me in tears. I scooped her up and kissed her tiny face. I nurtured and soothed. I looked into her huge, dark eyes and saw myself. The passionate fire that lives in me also dwells with her.
She came away with a healthy shiner. The other children lovingly dubbed her, "Joey-Shiner."
My Bella is an artist in her soul. Coral took Bella under her wing and bought her her very first charcoals and taught her how to use them.
It takes a village.
Our children understand on the deepest level that Blood is Thickest.
"I want you to be my best friend for always, Tyson," said the lovely little lady.
"Maya, please take my dream catcher away. It catches my bad dreams. I'm scared of it. I don't want anymore bad dreams."
Maya carefully tucked the offending dream catcher under her clothes in her suitcase.
Our children have been born into an elite club. Our blood runs hot and strong in their veins. They have inherited our intense passion for Life and Love and the Persuit of Happiness.
I couldn't help but smile every night after they were tucked in bed. I listened to them discuss Butterflies and Cavemen.
And every night, after they'd had their fill of giggling and banter, they curled up like kittens and fell asleep.
In other news:
My mom can kick higher than your mom! She'll be 60 in two months...
...which means when I'm 60 I will be able to kick higher than YOU!
SO THERE! HMMMPH!
NANNY NANNY BOO BOO! STICK YOUR HEAD IN POO POO!
I'm sorry. That was childish.
I'm begging you to PLEASE not stick your head in POO POO on my account.
