He thinks I’m the coolest Mom in the universe.
Would you like to know what it took for me to earn that status? What Mom wouldn’t want to know that secret?
I went deep inside looking for that little voice that we call intuition and made a huge decision, one so out of my character but one that felt oh so right. I decided that even though my little brain gave me hundreds of reasons why the answer should be no, my deepest, most essential self pounded her chest like Tarzan and said YES!
Even though I was worried sick about how this decision would affect my then 12 year old son.
What was the question? you may be asking…
The question(s) was: Should I upset the apple cart of my son’s life by making a move across the country from rural (and yes, in many ways perfect) Connecticut to the unfamiliar little mountain town of Crested Butte, CO? Should I break the news to Ryan that we were selling our house and he would soon be faced with saying good-bye to the friends he had grown up with, the room he had decorated, the lake he had grown to love ice-skating on in the winter and swimming in during the summer? Should I (Heaven forbid) rock his perfect little world so that I could live my life to it’s fullest even if that felt a little scary?
Yes, I should.
And I did.
And that’s what makes me the coolest Mom in the universe.
On a daily basis, my son gets to see me happy, fulfilled and even courageous as I dive into helmet wearing sports, explore new ventures and make friends. He gets to see my partner Ralph and me living our lives with a renewed sense of wonder and awe, our relationship rekindled as our family takes on this spirited adventure discovering all the wonderful aspects of our new home together.
This was an added benefit that I couldn’t possibly have anticipated.
Ryan didn’t know it at the time because it was hard for him to see past his temper tantrum, but nudging him a little (ok, a lot) out his comfort zone while I did the same created a mutual respect that we will be with us through eternity.
At the time we made our decision to make this big move, I really didn’t have any practical reasons for the decision other than the fact that Ralph and I had grown weary of our stressful, over-scheduled lives and we agreed we needed a giant change. A life in the Rocky Mountains, meeting new and interesting people, climbing mountains and breathing the thin air at over 9,000 feet felt exhilarating deep in my bones. How do you explain that to a 12 year old who thinks his life is perfect?
You simply need to trust. I learned that if I was making a decision, any decision that felt so clean and right, despite what may be happening on the outside (including the disapproving looks and comments from many friends and family) then it had to be right for my child. I trusted that that’s the way universe worked. It had to.
And it did. Ryan took to the Rocky Mountains the way a baby otter eventually takes to the water when his mamma pushes him in. He skis, he climbs, he explores, he hangs with his new buddies and he looks at me daily with a big grin that says “Thanks Mom.”
No, Ry, thank you.
Dina is Martha Beck certified life coach and yoga teacher. She helps women access their intuition and wisdom of the body to reveal their deepest passions. Her innate ability to listen intently, read between the lines and exhibit compassion without judgement supports women in consciously creating a life they love.Visit Dina’s website at http://dinaferrantecoaching.com/
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