by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free image by JackieLouDL from Pixabay.)
My mom taught me an early lesson in creativity and the subconscious–without realizing it.
She’d tell stories about her life as a single woman, prior to meeting my dad. One of my favorites was about her writing poetry.
“I’d get in bed,” she’d say, “and then the words would come to me. So I’d have to get up and write them down.”
I’d love to say that her life circumstances supported her creative talents.
Unfortunately, the demands of being a single working woman in the 1940s–and a homemaker in the 1950s and beyond–precluded that.
But she never lost her enchantment with creative pursuits.
I’ve covered her talent and determination in a previous Mother’s Day post. In addition, she was very supportive of any artistic or literary projects.
(Royalty-free image by Frauke Riether from PIxabay.)
The “play” element
One November day, she came home from shopping with a bag from the local dime store. Inside was a four-pack of glittering 1960s-style giftwrap foil.
“What are these for, Mom?”
“To play with.”
Those foils got transformed into sparkly Christmas ornaments, green glittery holly leaves with a line of glitter down the center, and gold stars for the front door. She had just identified another element of creativity: play, and not quite knowing where a project will go, but being willing to explore.
A little over a decade later, my mom and I traveled together, on a trip she’d always wanted to take.
At the hotel, our first night in Waikiki, she showed me something.
Two poems she’d written just prior to the trip–one about the experience of being a mom, and one about our travels.
For her, the creative spark may never have been encouraged much by her life circumstances–but it was never extinguished.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Again, as always, I miss you.