The Musings of a Latte Queen: Narratives of Everyday Life

It is funny how something can come along like a whirlwind and completely alter your plans or your life or your future. This happens in an instant and then you are left either cleaning up the debris or celebrating the clearing out of what you don't need, all depending on the perspective. A tornado of sorts hit my house and I'm deciding on cleaning out the debris. Back up a week ago to my glorious trip to Delaware. I had so much fun and it was well deserved after I spent the prior week cleaning the house and doing laundry so the hubby and kids wouldn't have to. I came home to a mini tornado of my son forgetting to study and my hubby not thinking to tell him to study, despite always asking me how the kid is doing (he is a freshman). In my evaluation of those three days, I think they all just decided to play since mommy was gone, now the kid is paying a price for that was the the last weekend before the last week of class and finals. Now here we are, finals week, and the kid...

I woke up the other day and noticed I had cellulite. After giving birth to six kids and turning forty-five, I would expect to see some of the wrinkles, dimples, and children's coloring project on my legs. They were all earned and each has an history. That brought me to thinking about my life and the lessons over the forty-five years. I am warm, sensitive, outgoing, caring, creative, intuitive, generous, giving, embracing, forgiving, and nurturing. I am also impatient, distractable, and cautious. I am me and I love me. It sometimes takes people well into their seventies or eighties to decide that they love themselves. This journey began for me probably fifteen years ago, I'd venture to say it began over twenty years ago, but I'll give it to the last fifteen. Before I turned thirty, in my college years, in my twenties, I was headstrong and determined. I had already overcome the murder of my first-born and a lifetime of emotional and verbal abuse from my step-mother. I k...

The other day I talked about turning forty-five. The week or so since that pivotal birthday has been refreshing for me. I have more gray hair, have become comfortable with my wrinkles, and have found a voice that was buried. There was someone in my life who was always controlling, invading, and simply toxic. I'm sure everyone has that lurking bully, reminiscent of high school gym class, who never seems to find anything good about you. Always accusing and you defending, or always disbelieving and you defending, or simply always condemning and you defending. Yesterday I said enough. That's it. Life is too short. Then I realized that our entire country has been under the strangle-hold of a bully. The prior administration, the invading of privacy at the airport, the civil liberties lost, the one ounce of shampoo, all of it has been the work of some big bully making our collective hearts beat too fast for fear of what they would do. Well, as my father once told me, there are...

There are some weddings you go to that you are happy for the couple. Then there are some weddings you go to that are more than a wedding. And then there was Thom and Joy Foster. Last night was an absolutely marvelous union of two kindred-souls. There was so much excitement in the air because each had lived and experienced life, each had journeyed to the altar not seeking anything other than a plate of food at a church conference. And then they walked, talked, shared, and he found her. Joy is really a reflection of Thom's love who reflect God's love to her, the way he looked at her is the way a man should look at the gift of his bride. Everyone from the mother-of-the-bride down to the little boy who danced the adults off the floor was joyous and celebrated something magnificient. Welcome to the family my sister-cousin. It is good!

I have fallen in love! Joe Biden country is calling me now. I flew into Baltimore, Maryland yesterday morning for a wedding tonight in Delaware. My brother-cousin picked me up the the airport for the 1 1/2 hour drive to my hotel in Smyrna. The drive was breathtaking because we crossed the Chesapeake Bay! I looked out the window and saw the most breathtaking site. It was picture-postcard with the boats lined up along the bay and all the coastal homes. The weather was a little gray but and a slight mist swept over the bridge. It was refreshing. Once we made it to Middletown, Delaware, literally in the middle of the state, my caffeine-deprivation was kicking in full gear. I do not do Starbucks and since I had a 5:50am flight from Lambert, I didn't have a chance to get a descent cup. US Airways has their complimentary coffee and all I can say is "ugh!!!!!" We were on Mainstreet and I was thinking that a quaint little shop called E's on Mainstreet would have a...

The other day it was my birthday and my husband surprised me with a fantastic party. He gathered together some of the people I love most in the world and brought them to my home to celebrate the day my mother brought forth my essence. Mother's Day always has me thinking and reflecting. First because the day always comes right after my son and I have our birthdays. I bring up the memory of my father who used to tease that he wanted three presents in June because Father's Day was always two weeks before his birthday and wedding anniversary. "I don't want them all lumped into one." Thankfully, my husband has always managed to make the three early May celebrations unique and distinct. The day ends with me feeling special and appreciated for bringing six lives into this world, five of whom are still here to share it with me. Then Mother's Day brings up other memories because it is always about a week before what would be my own mother's birthday. Mother...

This is the day the universe opened up the chasm and birthed me out. This is the day that love united and the nerve damaged ravages of MS never prevented essence from pushing out life. This is the day strength and comfort held the tiny form of womanhood and promised to always protect and cherish. This is the day life breathed out possibility and purpose and promise This is the day meaning came to "priceless, of inestimable value and great worth" This is my born day and I thank essence and love and strength for nurturing the joy of my being.

So much on my mind today. My baby boy turned 15 years old at 3:22am today. Has it really been that long? The essence of him fills my thoughts even now. I think about how my life has changed over the last 15 years as a result of birthing this talented young man. Chicago no longer became my home when this child was still a babe-in-arms at 2 1/2 months. He was 5 years younger than my now middle son. I could not believe I had a baby boy at my age. Back then it seemed old to have a child at 29 years, 11 months, 363 days. Now it is more commonplace. This son of mine is all teenager, he is goofy, loves his action figures, is great at singing, acting, dancing, musical instruments. He is intelligent and disorganized. He can be annoying and is always loving. He gives great hugs even though at 5'8" he is all sticks and bones. My organic and vegetarian quest has found a friend in him, he is a germaphobe and seems to want to don gloves before taking out the trash. He wants a sk...