She is…ALL IN - episode 48
I hope you have had the pleasure of watching someone grow up and become all that you imagined they could be. And I’m not talking about your own kids - that’s different. Some of us may not have kids of our own. Being on the sidelines as an observer and occasional supporter/encourager can be a true delight. That is the case with Claire. She has varied passions that we talk about and she shares how she has had to pivot from her dream to a new kind of dream. You will be inspired by her. I know I sure was.
I see Claire as dedicated. She exudes passion, clarity and versatility as she pursues the things that interest her. She lives by the expression everything happens for a reason. And she means it for all situations. I thought she explained it well. Claire has enthusiasm and fierceness for all the areas of her life. These are qualities that help define her, and they inform how she moves through life. I have no doubt she will continue to be all that, and more. She will reach many people. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. And I will be there on the sidelines cheering her on.
Empathetic.
Driven.
Entertaining.
— Claire
This Woman
Thoughts from She is…ALL. IN.
Being a girl and growing into a woman is not an easy thing to do. Some way or another we manage to make it through. The process can be smoother and have lasting meaning if you have parents who are there, who are loving, who are not afraid to be firm when you need it. I know Claire’s mother well. She is a friend. Watching her from a distance raise her children (along with her husband) has been an exercise in awe for me. I often marveled at the way they handled things, especially in those rough teenage years. And yet look how that patience has paid off. Claire is a peach. 🍑
That got me thinking about my own mother and how she raised me. Being a single woman, working full-time, raising two children on her own could not have been an easy thing. I look back and see that it was not. And yet. And yet. I see how she took all of her best qualities and kept them front and center so I would have love, compassion, and a constant presence in her.
I was the first-born and the stereotypical people-pleaser, over-achiever, dutiful, obedient child. Ok there were some rougher times in the teenage years when I chose a boy or two who did not bring out the best in me. (Oh, to be able to go back!) I do not live with regret though, I only wish I would have known better then I could have done better. We learn. We grow. We move on.
My mom, Cheryl, is an everlasting presence in my life. She is there for me. Every day. Any day. She deeply cares about who I am and how I am doing. She shows up. She is there. I know there are many people out there who can say the same of their moms. Truly it is a gift. Because there are those who don’t have their mothers here anymore, they feel the loss keenly every day. And there are those who did not, and do not, have a healthy relationship with their moms so they may be estranged. That is loss too. What could have been.
And yet I hope if they become aware, and stay open to the possibilities, they will see there are other women who have shown up in their life to love them, to be there for them. Perhaps you can be there for someone else who needs it. Because we all do.
So to Cheryl Renae: thanks for being my mom. I cannot imagine anyone doing it better. And I’ll end with the song that embodies my mom, how I feel about her. It is tender. It is moving. It is full of hope. She played this record often in our youth, along with a few others. The beauty of this song is not lost on me. It’s one of my top ten of all time - because of her. ❤️
SOFT by Chuck Mangione
Send me love that's soft
Let me know a love that's soft
Softer than a cloud
Or roses moist with rain
A child's gentle kiss
Make his love soft like this
And send me love that's warm
Let me know a love that's warm
Warmer than the sun
And sips of brandy wine
The white coals of a fire
So warm I'll never tire
Of how he touches me
Let my love be soft
Let her know a love that's soft
Softer than a cloud
Or roses moist with rain
A child's gentle kiss
Make her love soft like this
And let my love be warm
Let her know a love that's warm
Warmer than the sun
And sips of brandy wine
The white coals of a fire
So warm she'll never tire
If all I feel for her
In all the world there is no heart for me like yours.
In all the world there is no love for you like mine.
— Maya Angelou
