My intent was to blog during our road trip, but as technology would have it, a virus attacked my operating system, which I am convinced was the good-humored Universe telling me to unplug. After digging out of another computer ditch, I figured I ought to post the day-one intentions anyway. I altered the tense, but these were my thoughts before cyberspace swallowed them for lunch. Ps. The trip was amazing without words, and I will try to do a few more posts from memory. Enjoy the opening.
When Kate and I took our first road trip in 2005, my goal was to advise, educate and stay connected to her. To build a bridge that would carry us over the hell of adolescence-softly landing on the other side of myself, fun and unencumbered, and on the other side of her, a child whose questions were answered through the wonder of experience.
In 2019, my goals were similar regarding detachment from the very grown-up business of living, but this time, waxing hopeful we could experience the journey as peers…two empowered women, who’ve acquired badges and scars, gritty confidence that comes from battling. I imagined this, another grand escape from woulda’, coulda’ shoulda’ville.
In each case, I’ve shown up as a full-on mother with a purpose, a few intentions and a flexible map.
What I’ve learned in between are a thousand lessons, none of them easy, the most important personal truth being this…even if you are on a course, true north, if the path is not paved in self-love, it doesn’t matter who finds you fascinating or how the road curves along the way. If you look in the rear-view and don’t see beauty staring back, you’re going to need to keep driving.
And if you do delight in your reflection, keep driving anyway.
