NaBloPoMo: Thirty Acts of Love: Day 1. The All Night Sewing Spree

We've arrived at National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). It's the time of year when once a day, every day of the month, I'm going to write something in this space. I'm dedicating this space to thirty acts of love. Connor and Helen - when you eventually read these pages, use this as proof that you can make the world a better place. And it's not even that difficult. Just do something motivated purely by love. Someone will notice.

Kids think their parents can do everything. They also think their parents have nothing to do except whatever random thing they need done. In the past week, I have been asked to stem the tide of millet leaking out of Helen's heavy baby, iron plastic creations Helen and Connor have been manufacturing as if they are doing piecework in China, glue the chimney back on a miniature house, make EVERY.SINGLE.THING that was available at the handwork sale at Helen's school's Fall Festival, and on and on and on.

Do you know who my children sound like?

Me. They sound like I did when I was their age. And in response, more than once, my mom pulled an all-nighter to hem a special dress, alter a dance costume designed for someone twice my size, fix this, glue that, and every year - craft a homemade Halloween costume.

I loved those costumes. In fact, I still love those costumes.

Yesterday, Helen wore the witch costume I wore so many years ago myself. I can't guarantee this was the product of an all-nighter, but I can guarantee that my mom was interrupted at least a dozen times every time she tried to sit down and work on the costume.

You can't live like this without being absolutely and completely in love with the demanders.

Because this sort of working condition? It's not easy. And in my mom's case, it led to the all night sewing spree more times than either of us would like to admit.

Thanks, Mom. Helen adored her costume, just as I adored it so many years ago.

Elaine