Laughing Until Your Cheeks Are Sore

The other night at Chili's ~ two friends & I (P & L) laughed so hard our faces hurt...

I was telling stories about my mother -- which I really can't share HERE, because too many people know exactly who I am ~ but I was thinking, after telling the Popcorn Salt Christmas Tale (which I can share, as we tell it to anyone who will listen to it -- every year... it is our own little Christmas Tradition now...), after L made the comment that this story could be a movie, kinda like "The Christmas Story" -- and after I shared the other "Multiple" story, that I really could write a lengthy essay or small book "stories about my mom" or something. This morning, after sleeping on it, I realize I have a lot of sources still to gather more stories, and it would be a good thing. Another project to put on the "Someday" list!

As I've started counseling, my eyes are opening to lots of choices I've made that I hadn't realized were made as my mother's daughter; not as my husband's wife. And that isn't even exploring making decisions as me, myself & I.

As the story-telling on my mom continued, bringing forth hearty, hooty & loud laughter -- I thought of my childhood ~ the only daughter of a single mom... who had some inconsistent good and not-so-good examples of father-figures... there certainly wasn't a rotating door of men or anything like that... far far from it. There were serious relationships, 2, maybe 3 if you count the User of Brazil; all of which were destined not to succeed for whatever reason.

She remarried after 37 years, and so it has been an interesting experience watching and experiencing my mother as a woman in love, in a relationship, and living as a wife. We both have struggled to put our husband(s) first; long habits are hard to break -- and both have come up short in some areas. We weren't able to put our husband first, which has put us on the path we're on.

hmmmmmmmmmmm

Interesting things to think about.