Yesterday I posted an update to our fan page that said, “Sean & April are getting married today! No matter how many weddings we are a part of I am always excited to be there for each couple! Packing up my camera bag feels just like when I used to pack my tiny red suitcase to go to Grandma’s for a slumber party when I was little.” It got me thinking about that little red suitcase. (Here it is.. how cute is this???)
I know.. it’s adorable. I loved the clasp and I loved to pack up my toys and treasures in it. If the little girl had been blonde or if Apple Valley had little white picket fences this would have been the perfect picture of me… complete with my teddy bear Calypso. As we drove to the wedding we were to photograph I thought of another memory. I feel like I can remember it, but I’m not sure I really do or if I’ve just heard the story so many times, but it made me thankful for one of the many lessons my mom taught me as a child.
When I was 3 or 4 I got mad at my mom one day and I told her I was going to run away from home in a fit of temper. Instead of letting me have the upper hand by begging me not to (which is I’m sure what I was looking for), and instead of exerting her all-powerful momness she decided to go with it. She said, “Ok.” And she helped me pack my bag!! She asked me what I wanted to take with me and other questions like where I was going to go and what I was going to eat. I may have been a little taken back, but I was confident that Grandma would take me in. I might have also been thinking there is no way she was just going to let me waltz out of the house.. surely she would change her mind and resort to begging and cookies. But no, I was wrong. She packed everything up, handed me my suitcase and closed the door behind me.
I imagine that I stared at the door for a moment to see if she was joking and then turned around to head down the driveway (with my trusty friend Calypso). At the end of which I was confronted with the first dilemna… The Gate. I wasn’t allowed out of the gate without an adult. So I sat down at the end of the driveway to come up with a plan. Grandma’s house was too far and I couldn’t cross the street by myself. I was getting hungry and I had no snacks. It would eventually get dark and I would probably be scared and eaten by coyotes (I was deathly afraid of being eaten by coyotes). It seemed the best plan of action was to go back in, apologize to mom and ask for a sandwich. Yup. That was definitely the best plan.
My mom taught me a couple of things that day. 1) Sometimes moms surprise you. 2) Sometimes moms know you say things you don’t mean. 3) Sometimes you need to figure things out on your own. 4) Always have a plan.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who use any opportunity to teach their children lessons they will carry with them through their lives. And thank you to my mom for helping me to realize that running from my problems is never a good plan.
