Khair turns thirteen this month. It seems impossible that the baby who used to fit inside the space of my waist is now a young man who completely surpasses me in height. Truthfully, he surpasses me in many other ways as well. That is the beautiful legacy of parenting. The little creature who was made in and of your body becomes someone far beyond what you could have ever imagined...
The teen years are a definite pivot point. You begin to realize that your child will continue to be under your wing for fewer years than you have had with them so far. All the roles are shifting; and it feels like you are running out of time to get them ready to fly. If you are lucky, you get occasional glimpses of the deep essence of who they are becoming. The conversations are sometimes fewer, but often more profound...
It is difficult to articulate all of what is shared between a mother and a child. So much of the relationship is rooted in visceral knowing that cannot be captured by language. Over the years I have created a sacred ritual with my son. It began when I first placed him free floating in the ocean at three months old. Ever since, wherever we go and whatever the weather may be, we fully immerse ourselves in the rivers and seas. We did the polar plunge on new year's day, and we have just returned from the spring waterfall thaw...
Some people call us crazy. Perhaps, but these immersions are also a cleansing renewal and a way to connect to the larger currents of the universe. There is a powerful moment where you must decide, particularly when the water is very cold, that you are actually going to do it - all the way. I am proud of my son for so many things. His ability to meet challenges with steady commitment is actually more valuable to me than his straight A school record and goal scoring soccer games. He walks his path with a stride propelled by understanding that sometimes in life there is no turning back...
Onward.
Valarie
Unfold into the inherent wisdom of your essence with this embodied practice: Becoming