Yes, this is a gluten-free chocolate cake with a garnish of salsa!
Imagine having tons of food issues in our world of Flexitarianism. This woman manages serious food intolerance with style and grace. Chocolate and Salsa happen to be two or her go to food groups.
While you have never met her, you are in awe of her, the inspiration behind the ubiquitous Pajama Day honored in every school spirit week at least once a year. This is a great story of parenting. If you have ever done the “I Said THIS, YOU Heard THAT” program by Kathleen Edelman, you will relate. This woman is a BLUE. She speaks the language of Perfection and Order with a side of Red (Power and Control). Her youngest is a GREEN that speaks the language of Calm and Harmony. Picture this, the mom works and for the first 3 months of kindergarten, she has struggled to get her child to school on time. She is Mensa smart and has done her research. She knows EVERY technique in the books, and she executes them flawlessly to no avail. At her wits end, the night before the birth of Pajama day, she informs her youngest that TOMORROW there will be NO exceptions, the goal of being to school on time will be achieved. Now, said friend is not tall but the next morning when the scene played out as it has for the last several weeks, she is determined. We have all been here. She wrestles the child into the car “as is” and delivers her to the kindergarten teacher. Who replies, “What am I supposed to do with this!” Parent-of-the-Year replies, “I don’t know, and I don’t really care at this moment, she is all yours!” If you are like me, you are cheering her on – YOU GO GIRL! As she marches out of the school and to work. Check this off the to do list for the day. Well done!
Creativity is the mother of invention. Amen. The way parents reinvent the wheel as they parent is a source of endless entertainment. Luckily, the next generation as the wisdom of I Said This and You Heard That to help them be more graceful during the years when their tanks are empty, and their careers are on fire. These are the years that your Love Language shifts to Acts of Service because there are NO words of affirmation that help.
Fast forward to life in the middle (not geographically speaking) but life cycle. As she raised her family, her mother in-law came down with Alzheimer's. She answered the call. She could have written the book "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande. When she embarked on this journey, like parenthood, it was a lot of trial and error.
Time after time, Mom/Daughter In-law of the year answered the call while working. She is the definition of Life in the Middle. Thank goodness for those around her she is a BLUE with a side of RED. She is the woman you ask, “How does she do it!” The answer is with fortitude, intellect, grace, patience and a whole lot of humor. She is one of the funniest people I know. What I think is important to know is that she embraces imperfection and has a deep faith. I am not saying she has a tattoo of the serenity prayer, but if she did it would be well placed and in full compliance with the company handbook. Yes, she is a rule follower. If we could all be half of successful as she is, the world would consider us a huge success.
In the words of Paul Harvey, you want to know the rest of the story. Well, that was one of the smartest YELLOW kindergarten teachers ever. She waited for the adrenaline to stop pumping through Mom-of-the-Year's veins before she called her. The call was a simple request to deliver proper clothes to school because now ALL the kids want to wear their pajamas to school. And now you know how Pajama Day was born. You are also dying to know if Mom-of-the-Year's technique worked. The answer is Yes and NO. Yes, she felt so much better and we know the need for a boost of self-esteem when raising small children. No, her daughter still did not comply with her need for a sense of control.
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