Monday, April 25, 2005

Things I need to write about, someday

There just isn't the time these days, with computer-sharing and work and stuff to do, to put down all the things I want to say. I'm lacking the emotional space and perspective.

Some of the points I need to work out:
-mothers and daughters in general
-how desperately I miss Helena when she's not here
-how little I feel I see her when she is here
-how difficult tantrums are
-my mother's implied criticism of my parenting technique (or lack thereof)
-things my mother has told me about mothering in her day
-the general inadequacy I feel as a mother these days

All my current angst relates to home-buying, the process of packing, the prospect of building a home, including the financing of the home, my place in the household. I'm deliberately detaching. There's a lot to do, all there is to do is plow through. While I'm "feeling" a lot of emotions, I'm not really processing them. It's easier to move forward by ignoring the inner turmoils.

And I want to tell you about the nostalgia, the things I'm finding in dark spaces in closets, the relief and freedom in purging oneself of objects and the past. The irony of shedding matter when for the first time I have the space to store it.

Helena is home with me today. We both have head colds. Naps! Movies! Books! Chicken soup! More naps! Ah, lazy day.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

We should figure out a way to do a tantrum roundtable! Swapping amusing tales and strategies that don't work, and then putting it up on someone's blog! It could be you and me and... uh... all of our friend!

Anonymous said...

When I have visited your blog I have been impressed with what a fine mother you seem to be to your child.

Life is lived daily, and to throw yourself into the times you are with your daughter is to have satisfying memories when you are not with her.

Our minds don't disengage enough when involved in a child's quicktime rush to be able to be emotive or reflective, but I wouldn't worry about it- you are building love that is real during those times.

I hope to encourage you to follow your instinctive love for your child- you are doing much better than you give yourself credit for, even a stranger can be fairly sure of that.

Besides, it is a part of mothering to have the self-doubts that you express- we all have been there- wondering at night why we don't do things better and promising ourselves that tomorrow we will be perfect....