CREATIVE RAINBOW MOTHER GOES CAMPING

"Memory is a way of holding on to the things that you love, the things that you are, the things that you never want to lose."
Kevin Arnold

I will start by telling you what kind of mother I am. I was reading in Christiane Northrup's book :Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom about Mothering, the hardest job in the world. She referenced the author Lynn Andrew and her philosophy of the two kinds of mothers : The Earth Mothers and the Creative Rainbow Mothers. Earth Mothers nurture their children and feed them, and the Creative Rainbow Mothers tend meet their children's needs in a more non-traditional manner. I am a creative rainbow mother. I am not the kind of mom that volunteers at school weekly. Frequently my sons will say "Really Mom, are you serious?" I take on the big fun. I take on adventure. I make them boogie in kitchen while we cook. I taught them the importance of car dancing. I am a firm believer in taking them out of school for a "mental health day."....sometimes on the day of a test. I showed them how to ski backwards. Home schooling? I will leave that to the Earth Mothers. This brings me to today's post: Creative Rainbow Mother goes camping.

I am getting ready to leave on a week-long mountain biking trip with my son and his school. There is camping crap all over the house. My mind is running the chaos loop. I have lists for my lists. I cleaned out the back of my car to make way for the gear and here is what I carry with me: A cello, a bag of potting soil, cat food, ski outfits, puzzles for an art project, recycle bags for groceries, a long board, hiking boots, a yoga mat, bicycle tires, helmets for various sports and candy. Just like the contents of a women's purse can tell a story, so does the back of one's vehicle. I don't carry a purse.

I am posting today because I want to spend a few minutes pushing the F5 button. Isn't that refresh? Instead of obsessing on how much I have to do, I want to be grateful that I get to have this exciting experience. I get to spend time with my son in the great outdoors. Last summer we went to the Boundary Water's Canoe Wilderness Area for a 4 day tour. We paddled in the beauty of the great north woods and portaged into Clear Lake. We were the only people camped there for 2 nights. We saw NO ONE. The water was so clean...you could feel the purity. I can still taste it...I can feel it on my skin and I smile with the joy of the simplicity. I got to connect with my teen aged son in paradise. I grew up in Northern Minnesota and canoeing in the BWCA holds some of my fondest memories. It's the place that I feel at peace. We laughed and created stories that we will share forever. I posted a photo that my son took on our trip in "Say it."

I ventured to Fruita last year with the same school group. I came back bruised from head to toe. I flew over my handle bars into rocks and cacti. I am sure that I am brain damaged. My pinkie finger is still wounded. It was cold, it was wet and it was fun. When I left, it felt like I was leaving summer camp.

Tomorrow I leave on another adventure with the mountain bikes mounted on the car. I feel kind of cool with the bikes on the car. Last year the only picture I took was of the car.  I am grateful, so very grateful, that this will be another chapter in our connectedness.

I feel better now. I am now going to to have a lesson on putting up my tent.