Just when you think you have a groove going and life kind of settles, things change....Again. This especially happens as kids grow up and move on in their own lives. Today marks a day my daughter takes her first plane ride without her mom, and my son finished his short film for his final project at College.
What a difference 13 years make!
My son's short film, Pluto and the Vessel, is showing at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago on May 10th after 18 months of arduous work. He spent hours upon hours in
his studio, taking only brief naps in a sleeping bag on the floor of his studio, as he meticulously created his own short film, developing the story boards, the puppets, the set, the sound, and doing the tedious task of filming and editing....all by Harrison Browning. What a beautiful moment. I am truly proud of his hard work, tenacity, and talent. I remember when he drew an incredibly accurate rendition of Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam when he was just seven years old. He cleverly inserted a loin cloth over Adam later so he could share the drawing at school. Of course, that was the same year he drew an 8 foot penis on a friend's driveway with chalk and wrote "D-I-C-K" next to it. What a kid! Oops...I mean young man. This is surely just the beginning for a young man with incredible creativity and artistic talent.
his studio, taking only brief naps in a sleeping bag on the floor of his studio, as he meticulously created his own short film, developing the story boards, the puppets, the set, the sound, and doing the tedious task of filming and editing....all by Harrison Browning. What a beautiful moment. I am truly proud of his hard work, tenacity, and talent. I remember when he drew an incredibly accurate rendition of Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam when he was just seven years old. He cleverly inserted a loin cloth over Adam later so he could share the drawing at school. Of course, that was the same year he drew an 8 foot penis on a friend's driveway with chalk and wrote "D-I-C-K" next to it. What a kid! Oops...I mean young man. This is surely just the beginning for a young man with incredible creativity and artistic talent.
Pluto and the Vessel
And then there's the "younger" one, who took off to DC tonight with her 8th grade class. Yes, I teared up, and she had to tell me, "Mom, you will be okay." I saw my life of motherhood flash before my eyes, dropping them both off at Kindergarden for the first time. All those years of "firsts", years of them slowly detaching from me...and that's where the pain lies. As a parent, my job is to help them grow up, become independent, and not need me anymore. Creating my own obsolescence is a very difficult pill to swallow. I just want to hug them both and not let go. And then I think of the over-flowing toilet. Hhhhmmm.
But the truth is I do feel a sense of pride seeing both of them move on happily and successfully. The quandry is that I have successfully put myself out of work in a job I have done 24/7 for almost 22 years. Now, I have to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Oh, I have a full time job, but I have certainly put my life on hold in order to be the best single parent I could. I know, I know, people say you gotta do both at the same time. But I gotta tell you, between divorce, cancer, and kids...yeah, that was enough life to keep me occupied for many years. Now, maybe dating? Maybe continuing writing more ambitiously. Maybe going to that book signing down the block on my own. Wow, as my kids spread their wings...so do I. Just hope we all come home to roost once in awhile to catch up.
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