Limantour Beach is but one of the jewels of the Point Reyes National Seashore. The wilderness that backs the beach is just as wildly beautiful as the ocean that fronts it. From the ridge, trees kept rich by fog look over one another as the land gives way to the sea. These trees conceal an entire society that excels at being unseen. As I gaze at the rising mounds of earth from the coast I see a bird fly and vanish, then another, but then nothing. No movement, even though millions of critters large and small are going about their day. The sight reminds me of taking a boat ride around Manhattan and seeing the buildings tightly packed in and rising up for air, but hearing none of the sounds of the millions of people that pound its pavement.
My spirit wants to enter their world and not emerge for days, fearlessly exploring places where humans don’t wander. My human self would make it ten paces in, feel the trees close in on me and want to bolt. Kind of like how I feel when I enter The Genius’ attorney offices.
I’m cool with being vulnerable where matters of the heart are concerned, fearless even. But when it comes to having my heart ripped out by a giant version of a house cat (Ever been bitten by a house cat?) I can conjure up the terror that would rack my body – it’s a terror I’ve never come close to experiencing.
I’ve never been that scared. And I don’t want to be.
But the forest is so alluring. Densely packed Douglas firs and Bishop pines with pockets of clear floor under their soaring canopies. The smell of sap and bark and decomposing needles and leaves. Hills to climb on trails never made, feeling the burn in thighs as sunlight gets closer. The white noise of a quiet forest, punctuated by bird screams and scampering squirrels. Insects all around but inconspicuous in an effort to eat rather than be eaten.
Elk, deer, coyote, jackrabbits, bats, raccoons, Kingsnakes, Rattlesnakes, spiders of all shapes and sizes and degrees of creepiness, bears even. But no other animal in the Pt. Reyes Wilderness makes the knees of humans and animals alike shiver more than a Mountain Lion. Or, Cougar, if you will – not to be confused with those of the human variety that hunt youthful men instead of fawns, mainly in towns, not the wilderness.
The Mountain Lion has many names – Puma and Panther among them, because they were named by many. They have the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere, found from Canada to Argentina.
Mothers raise their young for the first year to two, teaching them to hunt, and then they are encouraged (sometimes with a cold shoulder or worse) to move on to their own land. Freeing the Mother up to mate again.
It was one such yearling that shot across Mesa Road as we returned from our swim in Bass Lake. I don’t recall ever being so fully present and aware of every millisecond that passed as I watched her fly into the road from the right, bent like a backward S, her tail out of sight. I watched my mind direct my eyes to key parts of her body to identify her.
No tail, Bobcat. Tail, Fox. Sleek fur, long tail. Mountain Lion??!? Can’t be.
Her head turned toward the car. Two petite ears pointed forward on a head far too small for what will soon be a long and powerful body. Her fur was flat and tawny. Cheekbones like a supermodel, with a jaw that could snap a human neck. I saw one eye.
And then she was gone.
Someone was behind us and off to the ocean side of the road – they must have seen her, too. There was no need to compare notes. What we saw was the type of wild cat that I expect to see when I finally make it to Africa. Or, maybe catch a glimpse of while I am on a trail deep in the woods. I didn’t expect to see her dart across the road two miles from my driveway.
She was small, and I was in a car, but that didn’t stop my heart from freezing. Not because of fear. I was in awe.
These wild cats really do roam the forest surrounding my home. Wow.
The next night I was driving back from taking a walk on Stinson Beach. I spent the time on the sand reminding myself of the unique blessing of living in Bolinas, letting thoughts of divorce or fears or hyper-self-analysis float out to meet the fog that sat suspended between sky and sea a mile offshore. If my mind drifted I would bring it back to the golden grasses and evergreens, or the gentle slope of the sand that allowed waves to break and wash ashore as if each was holding the final note of a song they’ve been singing since they were born.
I looked beyond the surface of the water and imagined the scenes beneath. Halibut laying on the ocean floor, seals sailing along the coast heading for the lagoon, mussels and starfish clinging to rocks covered with water and surrounded by ling cod. To my right, hills more populated than New York City, Chicago and San Francisco combined. I’m one beating heart on a parcel of land that is host to a billion.
The billion beating hearts of Bolinas.
My concentration on all things nature had me thanking the Eucalyptus trees for always welcoming me home as I turned on Mesa. It was twilight. Dark enough to make the headlights bright. And through both beams ran a Mountain Lion just as I came upon the firehouse.
It was the same Mountain Lion. Coming from my right across to my left, with her tail hidden at first and then, as she came out of her backwards S shape it flew in front of the light and then out straight from her back as she took a short leap off the road. I saw the side of her face, her cheekbone, her killer jaw and one eye, now white with light, before she disappeared into the grasses.
It was the same Mountain Lion. I just know. Just like I know it’s a girl. Right around puberty, I imagine, establishing her territory and living on her own for the first time. Foraging. Getting to know her strengths and weaknesses, facing fears and learning from close calls, savoring her first successful hunt, and taking time to play and be curious.
She and I are walking parallel paths. Only she can do cool stuff like jump 40 feet and probably doesn’t spend nearly the amount of time I do being concerned about aging, even though she will age faster.
With two back-to-back Mountain Lion sightings I didn’t stop to pet the dog when I arrived home but got right to the totem cards.
The Mountain Lion’s message begins with the need to balance the body, mind and spirit. On the days of both sightings I was doing just that. Look at me! So in the flow with the Mountain Lion! And then, as I read on, the paths diverged.
The Mountain Lion understands that all beings are potential leaders in their own way and leads herself without insisting others follow.
…lead without insisting others follow…
That seems like a load off, right? No need to look back and see if everyone is keeping pace. Just walk on, be a living example to only ourselves. To others we are someone to encounter – it’s up to them how they engage with us based on their needs. Our energy can be spent on our journey and not trying to convince them to join us.
(I immediately applied this lesson to my conversation with Mr. Viking. I was insisting he follow my lead. And when he didn’t I was disappointed in him. Not just disappointed. But disappointed in him.)
Mountain Lion medicine is about learning to act instead of being indecisive. Being courageous and brave, and responsible. As a responsible leader of one, we choose how to react to situations. Happiness is derived from how we respond, not what we get or who loves us or how good looking we are, but simply from how we respond to situations. (Somebody did some studies, this is what they concluded, and I couldn’t agree more. I just can’t remember who they were.) And self-love has a lot to do with how we chose to respond to situations.
No wonder the Mountain Lion has such a long tail. It shows us how things come full circle.
While my mind went right to the conversation with Mr. Viking, my soul was preparing for a whole ‘nother animal with the wisdom from the Mountain Lion.
Saturday was the tall dude’s birthday. They were with The Genius for the weekend, so I asked tall dude to call me when he was preparing to open his present. A present that The Genius and I selected together. All part of this collaborative, compassionate, cordial experience I’ve chosen to create. It’s been a success. The dudes are more relaxed. Our encounters are not filled with tension. I can look him in the eye. I haven’t folded in small talk, but then it’s not my thing anyway. Trust me when I say that I can never envision a time when I will have a deep thoughts style conversation with TG. But I have shared pictures on my phone, told stories of the boys’ adventures or updates about school.
It wasn’t all that long ago that I couldn’t even speak to him. Massive progress.
All of which was nearly obliterated by Skype.
(Somebody needs to do a study on the number of relationships destroyed by something seen or read on Skype.)
On the morning of the tall dude’s birthday I spent my time in solitude taking back the memories of that day and making sure they were not polluted by the actions of The Genius. In the days leading to his birthday I felt appropriately melancholy about not being able to celebrate seminal moments in the dudes’ lives with the man who helped create them. Sure, we’ll both attend children birthday parties and graduations, but we won’t be celebrating together. Now we celebrate alone.
Or so I naively thought.
The tall dude called and I sang to him. His request to Skype was eagerly accepted. I wanted to see his blue starburst eyes grow and then squeeze shut with joy as he pulled out his new skim board. But I missed that part because I was distracted by several female voices and then drop-kicked by the sight of a young girl running in to the video frame to help the tall dude unwrap his gift.
The Instafamily was in town.
And no adult on duty thought it might be a good choice to usher out the happy little forever family so the actual Dad and Mom could have this moment with their son? I am honoring the tall dude’s birthday alone, without him. Which was never part of the agreement. (For the HGM record, I am mad that I am not with the dudes full time. Occasionally I feed it a crumb and get on with life. I don’t flog myself with it, but sometimes I feel the burn.) The Genius couldn’t take a moment to think, We don’t need to make this suck any more for her? The Happy Dance Chick, a mother herself, doesn’t have the sense to remove herself and her family from the room to make it easier for everybody? Is she completely without empathy? Forethought? Brain cells?
No. No. No. And yes. Yes. Yes.
The Genius could have set it up to succeed because he cared, not doomed it to fail because he didn’t.
At that moment I felt like I had been attacked by a Mountain Lion, not lead by one. I trembled with tears, I sobbed, I fought mightily to not throw up. My hands shook for over an hour. I actually thought about doing a shot of tequila, but it was still morning. (I am responsible, just not made of steel.) This feeling I had was the closest I’ve come to what I experienced on the day I searched for the word love in Skype on The Genius’ computer.
I felt gutted.
After an exchange of texts where excuses were made and apologies given, but unfortunately the lies are still coming so I can’t believe the apologies, I put my phone in another room and just let the tears flow. I made a decision to let myself feel it hard. That choice was motivated by an intense desire to not give to him another moment of my life. Not another freaking moment. So I couldn’t just push it away and “move on”, I had to sit with the pain of not being with my son on his birthday, having the Instafamily shoved down my throat without warning, and being face to face with the callousness that is their way of life. I had to sit with it so I could transform the pain into something a whole lot more productive. Maybe it wouldn’t be happiness, but at least a productive kind of sadness.
In between bouts of tears, I had imaginary conversations with The Genius. You know the type. Walking the path that circles The Calmmune, I let the words come and then go. I breathed deeply. I cried. Just cried. Then thoughts of the Mountain Lion and the message she brings. By the time I clocked a mile and came to the crest of the hill, a smile was ready to come forth. I turned to Stinson Beach to see waves leaving a long line of whipped water at the edge of shore and hills that rose sharply toward a brilliant blue sky. The sun was warm. The air scented with a myriad of smells from wild flowers that taste like cucumbers to laurel blossoms and lavender. I felt light. And focused.
In my walk I decided to do something that would nurture me – finish hanging pictures and take my room from almost unpacked to stylized. As I moved through each task I felt at peace. I was consciously in the moment. Being fully present allowed me to pick up on signs of love – the tall dude’s favorite song coming up on Pandora first, finding the tall dude’s birth card with his height and weight and name, time of birth, and receiving an email from my Mom sent to me before knowing the details of my morning. It was the telling of one woman’s way of handling stress.
She was speaking to a group of people and picked up a half full glass. They braced for the question – half empty or half full. She came at them with, How heavy? Some guessed 4 ounces or 10 ounces. She replied:
It depends on how long you hold on to it.
Just like with stress.
After spending 2 hours coming down from a thoughtless 2 minutes on Skype, I put down the glass. And the desire to once again cut off all contact with The Genius. Instead I’m going to honor the Mountain Lion and lead without insisting others follow. My choice to be thoughtful and cordial and compassionate should not be altered by the actions of others. I am that way because I choose to be that way, not because I am trying to manipulate an outcome or person.
My actions don’t affect the actions of others. Their choice is their choice. My only responsibility is to chose how I respond.
Skype ripped me open yet again, but this time a potent lesson was woven throughout my core before I sealed back up: I am a leader of one. I will not insist others follow. Like the Mountain Lion, I may often be alone when being tested, but with the opportunity to concentrate in solitude, I can hone my skills and focus on expanding my knowledge and spirituality.
My memory of the tall dude’s 8th birthday is this: a growth spurt for me – spiritually, emotionally and intellectually, and his beautiful face when he pulled the skim board from the box. I didn’t miss it after all.
We’re off to the beach to ride the foamy waves and listen to that last note of their song.
Love yourself,
Cleo
Oh, Cleo. My heart aches for you and tears have sprung to my eyes while reading about the birthday Skype. It’s painful to imagine you sitting there, already feeling a longing to be with your son on the anniversary of the day that your body brought him into the world, but then to be blindsided by what you had to see. It’s unconscionable that things like that have to happen and that you don’t get to spend every birthday with your precious boys.
I want you to know how much I admire you – how mindful you are. How present in your own life that you are. You are an inspiration to me. You inspire me to look beyond the obvious and embrace the subtleties. Where most of us crash through life, you walk softly and quietly and are aware.
I just wanted you to know these things.
S,
Thank you for your empathy, S. I was relatively cool with not being with the tall dude on his birthday, but I didn’t want to have to be with the Instafamily instead! In addition to learning to lead with out insisting anyone follow, I have also been reminded of the importance of staying in the moment, fully present. It’s like training to plank for days at a time. But it’s so crucial to being able to remain graceful when faced with situations such as the Birthday Skype.
I’m getting there, S! Not every move is worthy of applause, but I’m committed to continual growth. Thank you so much for your kind words. They inspire me to continue to believe in myself and trust that I am exactly where I need to be. I’m so grateful you are here. Your support is so appreciated.
Love yourself,
Cleo
Wow Cleo, great post. My genius wants to introduce our children to his HDC and as I grapple with it all and brace myself for what’s to come I sometimes wonder about you and how you have dealt with the very same. Now I know – you feel the pain and hurt just like I do but then take its lessons and soldier on.
But can you just indulge me for a moment? Like anyone who has been through what we have been through I have my share of war stories. But the birthday Skype incident is particularly egregious. Think of the journey you have been on yet they seem to have learned nothing these past months. So selfish and clueless. Ok, enough venting.
You rock Cleo, and are definitely leading this kitten by example.
Hang in there!!!
xoxo from across the Bay in SF
M,
Thank you, M.
The Genius and I continue to grow further apart. We just don’t see things the same way – we don’t even see the same things. I know a few guys who are in the midst of a divorce and neither of them would ever allow something like that to take place. I didn’t allow myself to see what I should have been looking at while I was married. These events help me to accurately view moments in my marriage. While it hurts to see the dudes absorbed into the Instafamily, I know that they will one day (while still loving their Dad) use their intellect and emotional maturity to make their own judgments.
In the interest of a little venting so you know I’m human – he said it wasn’t thoughtless.
So I’m running with heartless. Which is worse than thoughtless.
Thank you for the kind words, M. They help to keep me laughing and light – I’m so appreciative.
Love yourself,
Cleo
I like your term “instafamily” and recommend that you reflect upon this term. Families are not always what we tend to think they are by simple definition. Many of us belong to families that are shaped with care through time and circumstance; families that have come into being through effort, loyalty, and abiding love. I don’t use Instagram, but doesn’t this application use filters to alter images? In this case, your term “instafamily” would mean that you’re viewing a group of people who appear to be a family, as seen through a particular lens or filter. Since neither TG nor HDC appeared to have believed in the same meaning of “family” as defined by many of us before their liaison was uncovered, then it would seem certain that what they appear to have now is just that: a false image of the real thing. And going by what their shared moral compass has demonstrated so far, then you can hardly expect that this image will change soon.
You have the real thing.
O,
I’m taking you up on your recommendation!
This – wow: “I don’t use Instagram, but doesn’t this application use filters to alter images? In this case, your term “instafamily” would mean that you’re viewing a group of people who appear to be a family, as seen through a particular lens or filter.”
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’ve known a post on family was coming. You’ve helped to frame it for me. Timely, too, as I head back to a family that is the real thing. Not perfect, but not liars. And not ill-equipped to deal with life’s challenges. My parents and my siblings have been taught that honesty and integrity, morals and values, are essential for happiness. These traits and characteristics help guide our choices and our responses – which leads to true happiness.
I’m grateful to back in my family. And I’m grateful that you are here. Stay close…
Love yourself,
Cleo
CLEO….U GRACEFUL…BEAUTIFUL….POWERFUL….MOUNTAIN MAMA LION…..THAT IS IT….THE SUPREME KNOWLEDGE….I AM RSPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN HAPPINESS…WHEN I FEEL IT I HEAL IT….I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND IT POWERFUL TO PRAY FOR THE IGNORENCE OF OTHERS…THEY ARE JUST ABOUT ON THE ENTRANCE TO THE PATH…WHEN THEY GET DROP KICKED ONTO IT….AS WE ALL DO AT SOME TIME FOR SOME “CRISIS”…THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL CONNECTED…EARTH/PLANET/PEOPLE/ANIMALS ETC…AND WHAT WE DO TO OTHERS WE DO TO OURSELVES…YOU WILL BECOME THE POWER OF EXAMPLE WHEN THEY BEGIN TO TRUDGE…AS U ARE THE POWER OF EXAMPLE TO YOUR KITTENS TODAY….WHAT YOU DO IS OF SUCH SERVICE TO MANY….JOJO
J,
Thank you for your kind words, J. And for being here.
We are all in various stages of our soul’s journey. It’s taken me this long in life to realize that it’s not my right to expect others to be where I want them to be. I can only and should only be walking with myself. Making certain that I am where I need to be. What one can perceive as ignorance is really just the stage at which the person is at in their soul’s journey. labeling them ignorant is judging that they ought to be further along. And, yes, a crisis does tend to wake us up! I’m grateful for the Pocket Call for being my alarm.
Mountain Lion Mama – I love that! And you…
Love yourself,
Cleo
Cleo – I know this is very late, but I want to tell you how sorry I am you had to go through that. While you grow and they do not, these types of situations will probably play out more rather than less often.
So how fitting that you’ve come to the conclusion you did. And how did you know I needed to hear exactly that today?
Thank you.
Big hugs headed your way. So proud and in awe of you and your response to this journey.
Cleo – I know this is very late, but I want to tell you how sorry I am you had to go through that. While you grow and they do not, these types of situations will probably play out more rather than less often.
So how fitting that you’ve come to the conclusion you did. And how did you know I needed to hear exactly that today?
Thank you.
Big hugs headed your way. So proud and in awe of you and your response to this journey.
D,
Hugs taken, cloned. I needed to reread this today – so thank you! Lead without expecting others to follow. And respect that they have the right to be their own leader. I see the benefit with the dudes of keeping this concept, this mountain lion mantra, with me at all times. They are being more responsible and thinkning through their choices. BIG changes in behavior. I’m so grateful for the encounters with her. And for you.
Love yourself,
Cleo
Since your post today was so…heavy [and sad], I thought I’d keep my comment light [and fun].
Ever since our chance encounter on Mt Tam I’ve been surprised and wondrous at the number of times you’ll write about an experience (often funny or silly) that reminds me of something I’ve literally just done myself. It’s like we have some weird witch-y connection.
Anyway, imagine my surprise when I saw the mountain lion graphic in your post. I used virtually the same image in a post about a month ago:http://myyearofsweat.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/just-pay-attention-thats-what-he-said/ albeit my version was far less politically correct.
Hope mine brings a smile to you and lightens your mood just a bit.
Cheers – and safe travels!
Nancy
N,
Heavy but exciting! It only took two hours and no adult beverages to set the pain free. It means I’ve got my processing online, my Observer Self engaged, and was able to see the toxicity in the negative thoughts. I was alos able to separate myself from their actions, eventually, and was able to see how we all need this experience. I am BEYOND grateful (it took a few days!) for the opportunity to use my skills! Quite frankly, I was feeling a little rusty.
So, while I certainly do see why you thought the post heavy, I wanted you to know (because you care so deeply) that I have gained significant insight and am hugely energized by it. Their actions also prove to me that I’m not bat crazy, they are a perfect pair.
I will check out the link. For those reading this comment, N and I met by chance (after she was a kitten) on the top of Mt. Tam after I tweeted a summit shot. It was that night that the boy severed his pinkie. The post is here: http://www.hisgiantmistake.com/?s=severed+pinkie&submit=Search
If I ever need to go into the witness protection program, N will be able to find me. We have that connection.
You rock, lady. Wedding in Vegas in September!
LY,
C
SWEET! Cannot wait to clink some adult-bevvy-filled glasses in Sin City. I will make sure I’m there!
And…good on ‘ya for seeing the positive/growth opportunity that came from the sh&t-storm that was the Skype session. Also, happy belated to the Tall Dude.
Heartless and thoughtless…I feel your pain, so sorry that you had to deal with that. I believe from your earlier posts that Ms. Instafamily was married also when the “pocket call” happened, correct? So assuming she has left her husband, what do we have here?
Two that cheated, and betrayed their respective spouses. Two that now have to wonder when they will be cheated on by each other. What a prize!!!!
S,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. And for your support. Whether or not TG and HDC are conscious of it, their guilt and shame is at work. It will appear in some form in this lifetime. The Birthday Skype experience was such a gift – I was able to do it! I let go of the pain in a decent amount of time…I’m working my way to where lots of other people are now – able to objectively view the callous actions of those that betrayed them as simply a continuation of what they endured while married, which then leads to a feeling of deep gratitude that they have been set free.
Now, next time I’d like to skip the sobs, dry heaves, shakes and desires for tequila at 11:00 AM, but I’m grateful to have had the ‘lab’. I’m giving myself an A-.
Love yourself,
Cleo
Oh Cleo….that is hard. Really hard. I am so glad you are writing about these experiences…they are the all too real fall out sometimes I know it helps people in this situation to see you go through it too…I know that sounds weird, but people are not alone…it’s good to know. I have the opposite situation, a dead beat “dad.” And that brings its own pain for the kids…I still empathize with the Skype call and remember the gutted feeling of finding the affair.
I LOVE however the mountain lion….I believe this is true…why should anyone else determine your conduct? Absolutely…you walk around with that kick ass fur (red hair) you have ….and let others do their thing as they will:-) I also love the Instagram and family…..from the comments of another kitten.
Thanks, Cleo.
C,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m hopeful that those who are in the early stages of separation will have conversations about how to respect each other during the divorce process. I’d love it if I never had to see TG again. That would rock. But since I do, I have to make it ‘all good’ for my own health (literally – stress causes cancer – dis-EASE) and for the dudes.
I’ve hesitated to write about things like this in the past because I don’t want to be perceived as a whiner, so I’m grateful to see that you appreciate the importance of sharing this. We all experience versions of this type of behavior, and it’s important to share our methods of transforming muck into magic. That’s why we’ve gathered here! I will continue to share – with no intention of creating TG drama. I simply want to process for myself and help others.
And laugh. And explore. And compassionately love all beings. And meet each and every one of you on a mountain top somewhere. Couple small goals…stay close, C.
Love yourself,
Cleo
It does us all WORLDS of good to know someone else out there – even someone as strong as you’ve been throughout – has sobbed and had dry heaves over something like this. I couldn’t function for 3 months after my discovery. It’s good to know that even though it can still cause so much pain, the recovery is now much faster AND when heeded, the lessons are enormous. Your vulnerability translates into courage Cleo. We see your courage. We are all so proud of you and your courageous response to the vulgar and insipid (a.k.a. characterless – I looked it up, wanted to make sure I was using the word correctly) behavior of HDC and TG. And so wonderful you are concerned with you and the dudes only. Chin up – you earned it.
D,
Thank you, m’lady. That experience helped to center me, in a strange way. After knocking me off my feet. It taught me a little more about letting go. Their actions are for them to own. And I must be responsible for how I react to situations. I choose grace. Sometimes pain will come along for the ride, but I’m getting better at dropping it off at the first lit intersection.
You rock, D.
Love yourself,
Cleo
I don’t think your sharing things like this is whining at all. It’s more real than many experiences and personally I love to read of the real nitty gritty stuff like this, as someone that has been through divorce with kids. Hang in there, girlie.
J,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I want to share all the details, but I’m not comfortable venting. So, as long as it’s coming across as intended – communicating while seeking answers and solutions – I shall march on! Thank you, m’lady. The support is appreciated. So grateful you are here.
Love yourself,
Cleo
Ms. Cleo,
Does instafamily, does that mean he married happy dancer? And I just read your response above to another post, yes your children will one day look back and make judgments. My own experience is speaking.
W,
Oh, F. You are a doll. I will post your first comment soon, but sadly I do have to edit out some of your words because it exceeds a limit that I didn’t even know about!
As I read the words I wished for a glass of wine and only a table between us so that I could take in the tale in person.
One day – mark my words, kittens – we will have a Kitten Summit on the Mesa. I’m planning it now. And it’s gonna rock. We’ll have some time for story sharing and a Proventing. Yes, you read that right – Proventing. Productive venting. Not kvetching, but proventing.
Now, to answer your question. No, they haven’t married. According to my 8 year old son, who should so not be privy to such nonsense, they are going to marry in around 10 years. I’ll give you all a moment to compose yourselves.
W, you are need a tiara for your bravery in standing up for what you believe in, and having conversations before affairs can take root. I am so proud of you and of what you have done for your family. Kittens, once I edit it you will read her words.
Thank you, W. Rock on, gorgeous.
Love yourself,
Cleo
I nominated you for an award!http://amomaholic.wordpress.com/2013/06/23/wow-ive-been-nominated-for-two-awards/
L,
You are so sweet. Thank you! HGM doesn’t qualify, thanks to the devotion of numerous kittens, too numerous for the Indie designation. But I am honored that you thought of us. I say Us because this blog is for sure not just me. The comments alone qualify as the coolest blog comments ever. Maybe we should make our own award – Coolest Blog Commenters (Commentors?) Ever Award. You, kittens, would slay the competition. I’d buy you all sashes and tiaras.
Love yourself,
Cleo