Moth-er

Here is the painting completed after the burning (see previous post).

Feliz Dia de la Madre

This year, I spent a bit of time in mourning for my mother. Not mourning for her death, but mourning for all the time that I am losing for not living in the same country as her. I created an painting of her, and burned parts of it away to make her parallel to the verse that talks about not putting your treasures on earth where moth destroys. Burning it was surprisingly hard to do, I think I created my first therapeutic artwork.

I was talking to someone recently whose mom had died when he was still a boy. He told me that parts of his mom were still a part of who he is and that though her death does impact his every day life, that the part of who she is remains in part of his character.

And I see this too in me as do my friends who have met her. There are parts of who I am that have sprouted from who she is. Like my mom, I now need my daily nap as I listen to some audio thing, I say silly things that make students kindly question me, I am an intense traveler, I like to lighten up situations, I love to be hospitable to anyone willing to come around.

I hope that I will continue to find traces of her in me, that I will be my own woman like she is, resilient to others, that I will inherit the practical wisdom she has has so often used to counsel her children. That, like her, I will be willing to go through 18 years of being uncool so that eventually those who I have influenced (children spiritual or physical) will finally appreciate me for who I am and what I have done in their lives. Happy Mothers Day Mom! Sorry for burning your effigy… may it flatter you that you have such an impact on my mind that it needed to be done.

pick up line of the week

“lets hang out together and celebrate your future mothers day”

Two things

1. I have a WEBSITE! 

2. Haven’t been blogging much anymore. I have been enjoying living my life so much that writing about it has been unnecessary. 

The one where I decorate the copy machine

Everyone calls the copy machine the beast. Especially when it starts acting up and eating paper or has other issues. So I took a few seconds to do something I had always wanted to do…

Acosadora de una Famila

I thought it was very interesting (and not unusual) to see every member in this Peruvian family is touching the other, so like a family stalker, I snapped a quick photo of them. Sometimes, I still am shocked in this culture of always enough food, always enough space, always enough time for one more.

Where I live now

Click HERE to see an honest photo of my untidy and incomplete room. I am planning on doing a bit more to it when I have the time.

I love my little room and patio. Open the curtains of both windows and I have a panoramic ocean view and can hear the waves. My little place is one of the reasons I think I could stay in Peru for some time.