Wednesday

How to be 91...And a Gypsy

So our mom, Joan Kennedy had another birthday--her 91st, she always has the best birthdays. I am not kidding. They are either in exciting places or with lots of people--sometimes both. And she always celebrates at least three times--it's more of a birth month than a birthday.



Anyway, we were celebrating at a lovely restaurant, Tria -- they give you a free bottle of wine equivalent to your age during your birthday week...yeah, we had the good stuff. Not only that, but Victoria (Patty's daughter-in-law) had just had a birthday too. We had two bottles of fine wine.



But that's not the story.

After one of the bottles had been drunk, mom said, "I'd like to make an announcement," she paused, making sure everyone was listening, because we have a tendency to suffer a collective ADD, then she continued. "I have decided I'm going to be a gypsy!"

Now, writing this statement, it all seems pretty gasp-worthy, but no one gasped. Which is good, because she had more to say.

"I will move most of my things to Patty's and then I will stay with each of you for a week. And I will pay you one hundred dollars for food."

Well, we were laughing at this point, not because we thought she was joking or we didn't believe her, but because it was fun! Who wouldn't want to be a gypsy? (I mean the romanticized version, not our ancestors and relatives who were/are discriminated against) And who better to be one than our mom, grandma, friend Joan Kennedy?

Gypsy Woman

A few days went by and Patty and I took mom to her doctor's appointment, afterward we went out to eat--cause that's what gypsies do, at least, it's what we've always done. We really like being with each other and try to make these times last. So we're at another great restaurant: Burger Jones when mom makes another announcement:

"I've decided to just be a Part-time Gypsy. I'll keep my apartment and see how I like being a gypsy, then, we'll see."

I think Patty and I both breathed a small sigh of relief. Not that we wouldn't want her to be anything she wants to be, but that she'll have her comfort zone, her just in-case she needs to regroup place. Which is a really long and roundabout way of saying how important it is to have a comfort zone--whether it's your kitchen table, your backyard patio, your man-cave out in the garage--it's nice to find refuge in a safe spot.

Now, maybe mom will find she loves being a part-time gypsy and want to go full throttle--maybe her comfort zone will shift to another location--but for now, we know she's got her own place, just in case this whole gypsy thing blows.

And to help her in her gypsy ways I'm creating something for her journeys...no photos yet, as I'm still creating in my brain and not in the actual world.

Have you ever wanted to be a part-time gypsy?




2 comments:

  1. I always wished I moved around more and saw more places. The idea of uprooting completely and not being attached to anything at all always scared the heck out of me. Even a part-time gypsy sounds exciting and scary at the same time. :)

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    1. Yes! "...exciting and scary at the same time." Maybe that's what we should all do more of--things that scare and excite us. Not all the time, but some times. Thanks for stopping by and commenting Nick!

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