Best Job in the World

The other day B and I were coming back from throwing rocks at the beach by the bakery.

Like many of our escapades, this one ended up with him riding on my shoulders for the last few blocks home. My almost eight-year-old can ride on my shoulders. That's pretty impressive!

As we passed a row of cabins, a young couple (middle-aged? I don't know!) walked past us.

"Hi!" I said because Brady P taught me to always reach out.

They did not say hi.

But then the woman looked at us and said, "You have the best job in the world."

It took me a minute to figure out what she meant. Because I am a mom? Or... because I am the mother of a little person with an extra chromosome?

Maybe that was it!

Cuz I am Brady P's mom!

I have the best job in the world!!!

I am so lucky!

And, you know what? She is right!

It is the best job in the world.

I have made it my priority to be the best mama I can be, so he can be the best person he can be.

Let me tell you, I wouldn't trade this journey for anything.

It took me too long to register what she may have meant for me to respond to her (I was already home!), but I am curious how she knows that.

Does she have this job too? Does she know someone else with this job? Does she want this job?

I don't know. 

But thank you, lady, for understanding the magnitude of this job, seeing it as something great and sharing that with me.

Do you know who else I would like to thank? All the people who see us in Copper Harbor, recognize us from this blog, and say hello! 

I really don't know if people are reading this, so it's nice to get positive confirmation. A shout out to Heather and Al -- the last people to introduce themselves!

See? We are all connected!

Hello from the best lake in the world!

Shop til You Drop

Monday we had to go to town for B's annual eye exam.

It can take an hour to get to town from here depending on summer traffic (not busy, but slow!), so I decided to check out a couple hours ahead of time and lollygag.

We took M-26, the lakeshore drive. And yes, all the cars ahead were quite slow, but we were not in a rush!

It was lovely as Lake Superior's water sparkled and reflected the blue sky. Ahhhhh.

We grabbed some lunch and dawdled around. I also had to grab two food items, so we went to the local grocery store. Brady said, "I'll push the cart!"

Good, I thought. That will keep the boy on a mission!

But with only two items on my list (I still made a list), I grabbed a "basket" instead of a cart. This basket, however, was on wheels with a pull handle, and it was almost as tall as he was!

I pulled the handle out and announced, "Here you go! You can pull this!"

"Ooh!" he chirped. 

Aaaaand off he went with a red basket rolling behind him.

He stopped instantly for a pack of Bubly in a new color of box. "Mummy, let's get this one!"

"Okay, that looks fun!"

Then he proceeded to stop every few yards to try to put another unnecessary item in the cart.

"Ummm, no, Braeds. We don't need that."

But he did find a few other acceptable items: bananas, sweet potato, watermelon. He also tried shoving a box of ice cream cones in there several times, but I had to keep reminding him that he can't eat ice cream like that, so we didn't need them.

By the time we got to the end of the store where I found the things that were actually on my list, the basket was pretty full!

After I added eggs and yogurt to the mix, he decided to swing that rolling cornucopia up and down every aisle saying, "Just one more thing."

That kid.

Luckily, we had time to spare, so I just let him use up that youthful energy. I kept laughing under my breath and shaking my head in wonder and amazement.

I love watching him take charge in another environment. It's so meaningful to observe what he does. And it's pretty fun to follow him around and see what decisions he makes (while nixing his poor ones at my discretion).

He was really good that day. He has become quite the astute and pleasant traveler. I mean, I actually like to go places with him now! Before it was such a chore. Any new parent knows that.

And he was even super awesome for the eye doctor "to check my eyeballs!" he would say. Ha! What a guy.

A little shift up in his prescription should benefit him.

Now I just have to figure out where else we can go to help empower him!

My little vampire

It's Not About Me... or You

Guess who is back!

The cutest, sweetest little boy my world has ever known!

Nap time snuggles... irreplaceable!

Did I ever tell you that I never really wanted to have kids?  

Probably.  It wasn't my thing.

To most people, "having kids" would mean raising one or two "typical" children in a household with a mom and a dad.  And often, that mom and dad wanted kids.

Brady P. and I are not the norm!

Instead, I raise this little boy with an extra chromosome.  Extra indeed.  Me and him.  Him and me.  Unless we have family in town or an occasional sitter. 

I went from not wanting a child to that being my life!

Want to know that ironic part?

I love it!

I absolutely love hanging out with that little man (with the balance of school, of course!).  He is such a joy.  He's an extreme test of patience, psychology, energy and troubleshooting, but a joy nonetheless.

And that somewhat selfish woman that I used to be has totally transformed her purpose in life.  I have realized that my life is not even really about me.  None of our lives are really about ourselves.  They're about how we act and react toward others.  How we give of ourselves in order to help others thrive.

With that said, let me give a quick shout out to Brady P's grandparents: Grammy, Gramps, Nana and Grampy.  They have all, in their own way, gone above and beyond what I thought grandparents would ever desire to do for their grandkids.  I am amazed.  

Though it's not biologically likely, I may have a slim chance of being a grandma someday.  I promise to always give of myself for those little tykers if I get that chance.  Because, like I just said, that's what life is about.

That's the most fulfilling thing you can do for somebody else: help them in their time of need.

So through this whole cycle of, wow, now I have a kid, and wow, I really need help, and wow, look at how people step up to help, and wow, look how much love my child brings into this world, I'd say I'm a much different person.

Not just different, but better.  Purposeful and worthy.  Full of love and light to share.

This world isn't just about my career and what I want to do.  It's not about yours either.  It's about showing kindness and compassion toward others -- especially when times are tough.

That is really how we become better people.  It's how we learn and grow.  And it helps make this world a better place.

Thanks for doing your part!  What's next?

Do You Really Want To?

Hey there!

Thanks for clicking to read.  

No, really.  Thank you.

I wouldn't make the effort to post each Wednesday (or soon after) if I thought nobody was reading this.  But you are.  So thanks.

With your dedication -- weekly or otherwise -- I want you to ask yourself why.  "Hey, (myself), why do I read this blog?"

Do you know the answer right away?  

Do you personally know and love Braeden and me, and this is how you stay connected?  Do you know and love someone with Down syndrome and enjoy the camaraderie?  Do you love Copper Harbor?  Did you read my last blog, A Little Slice of da Harbor, and habitually switch over because you enjoy my writing?  Did a friend show you this blog?

You don't have to tell me.  Unless you want to.  But I just want you to look inside yourself, and ask why you do this one little thing.  Really, it's best to do that with everything you do, but we will start with this.

For now.

Okay,  thanks for that introspective moment.

I have had a very introspective winter.  For years I was a social butterfly, and I overextended myself for others when it was actually zapping my energy.  I just felt like I should do it all for others.  Even though I physically couldn't.  

Nobody can.

But I have been sober for over a year.  I find comfort in meaningful conversations instead of surface chatter.  I find power in telling people 'no' when their request does not fall in line with my purpose.

Because I need all the energy I can get to help save the world. To help raise the consciousness of humanity to its highest potential.  But before I do that, I have to do it within myself!

So I am working on it.  It is starkly revealing at times.  It can also be difficult to face.  But at the same time, it is empowering and liberating.  My old friends and family might not understand it, but it is a beautiful transition in my life.

It's as though I've been uprooted from my old habits and plunked into fresh soil.  Soil with great potential for growth.  But in order to soak up the energy, I need to focus on the sun.  And the rain.  And the darkness and mystery of what my roots are now pushing into and through.

I just need to believe.

My heart can feel that it's right.

I am grateful.

Okay, so thanks for exploring the inner world of Amanda for a moment.

Do you ever do that with yourself?  Just like I asked you why you read this blog, I would encourage you to ask yourself "Why am I doing this?" about more things.

If your answer is usually "Because I want to, and it helps me fulfill my purpose," then you are on the right track, my friend. 

If your answer is, "Because I have to," or "Someone is making me," or "This is just what I have always done," then please take it a step further and notice how it feels to realize that.

How does it feel to be forced?  To feel like you have no other option?  To follow old habits out of "comfort?"  Just sit with that feeling.

*Please note: some things you have to do, like biological functions and taking care of people and animals you are responsible for.  But you can ponder ways to do these things in ways that they work best for you.

Now think about something you love to do.  "I love to (fill in the blank), and it makes me feel (fill in the blank)."

Now feel it.  Really feel it.

Feel the difference in your body when you focus on those two different frequencies.  I don't even have to tell you which one is better.  You already know.  And only you can feel it fully.  Because it is part of you.

So right now, you are either thinking, "Hmm, this is very interesting.  I will do this more in my daily life."  Or you are thinking, "Where are the pictures of Braeden in all this snow we just got?  This is boring."

And that's okay.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, this blog is full of surprises and variety.  But all of them have the same purpose: to help make a difference in this world.

Thanks for reading.  But only if you want to....

Braeden stomps in puddles because he wants to