mama's wodding

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  Happy Day to all you hard working women out there. 
My mother used to always say "every day is Mother's Day".  Okay, really, even as a kid I knew she was full of bullshit. :)

When our girls were little, Laurence and I gave each other our 'special' days (Mother's and Father's Days) completely off.  That meant no diaper changing, no meals, sleep in, just do whatever we wanted to do, a responsibility-free day.  It was glorious...although it was also a little difficult to explain to the girls when they were very, very young that I HAD to get out of bed before their delightful and quintessential breakfast of a banana, hard toast, a hard fried egg, and coffee, because I had to go pee.  They let me, but were still pretty disappointed in me.

We all know that parents do their best teaching by keeping their "teaching" words to a minimum and just living an honest life.  Kids absorb soul-felt energy from parents so it's impossible to cover reactions with words.  Kids are smart.  Try as I did, I definitely had some fails in that area...not living honestly part, but reacting with words-before-thoughts moments.

While kids are growing up their parents grow smarter...at least we hope so.  Even though our kids grow up, move out onto their own, take responsibility for their own lives proudly waving their flags of independence, parents beware, our children are still learning much from afar.

What is the reason for this post other than me thinking warmly of my little girls?
A very wonderful woman who enriches my world with her wit, warmth, and worldliness sent me a powerful, timely FB message today.  My friend is a 60something CrossFitter of about two and a half years.  She started before me and while she has had breaks here and there because of her travelling adventures, she always finds her way back to the box.  This brave woman will also, on occasion, go to other boxes when she is away.  (It can be intimidating to enter into a class of 'strangers' as not all boxes are created equal.  Luckily, most are welcoming.)  Of course, SHE tends to bemoan that she keeps losing her fitness level and gets tired of 'starting over' so often.  While I understand, it's all relative.  I personally know VERY few 60something women who could do what she does at her point of 'starting over'.
Inspiring.

Apparently her 40something daughter thinks so too.  My friend's message was full of excitement (and hope) that her daughter is talking seriously about giving CrossFit a try.  This. Is. CooL. 
Admittedly, the particular box her daughter is thinking of happens to be a stellar box that my friend has gone to a few times and had great experiences.  That is also CooL.

The CrossFitting moms and dads I know got into CrossFit because of their children or friends.  I find it so incredible that this mom, my friend, is still inspiring her children just by living an honest life.  Does she speak highly of how CrossFit keeps her body moving?  Yes.  Would this mean anything if she didn't also just GO to CrossFit?  No.  Her daughter is still seeing her mom as an example of what is possible.  To have this 40something woman become a CrossFitter because of her 60something mother is just such a great Mother's Day story to me.