A Mom, a Blog, and the Life In-Between

Friday, April 25, 2008

Spiderman and Pirates, Now and Forever

I was in the elevator at work today, secretly pleased with how smart and professional I looked in my very cute outfit, when a guy who was riding with me - not anyone who seemed familiar, so perhaps he was a client for one of the businesses in the building - pointed at my finger and said, "aw, how cute; were you out of Barbie band-aids?"

I'm sure the douche bag thought he was being funny, but he failed.

What he was pointing at was a Spiderman band-aid I have wrapped around my middle finger, a not-altogether-successful attempt at protecting a nail that's broken below the line and threatens to hurt like hell if it rips off and takes with it the soft flesh.

So while I rolled my eyes at the guy and shook my head at him, inside I acknowledged the incongruity of a nicely dressed professional woman with a blue and red Spiderman band-aid.

What I couldn't tell the man - what I wouldn't tell him even he hadn't been such an ass - is that what he saw pretty much sums up what I am today: a woman struggling to be professional and together and "on top of it" but also marked in every way by the boy who's stolen her heart.

The only band-aids in the house (aside from the big ones for those more serious cuts) are of Spiderman and pirates. Much like there are wipes and snacks and emergency pacifier in all my purses; like my work notes are punctuated by reminders to make a doctor's appointment or talk to the nanny or look into getting a Curious George DVD; like I put on my jacket only to find stickers pasted on it; like I can't sit at my desk and stare out and see the Metro Rail without hearing a squeaky, high-pitched voice shouting, "Mami, look! Choo-choo train!"

My life is touched in every way by this boy of mine, so that no matter where I am or what I'm doing, he is there. It is not just the clutter of books, dolphins, sharks, whales, dinosaurs, trucks, cars, and trains that are constantly underfoot and in my tub and in my car; nor is it the yelling and jumping and throwing. It is simply that the "boyness" is in everything. I am now living a boy's life - and coming from a home that was all girls, this is new, unchartered territory for me.

That man in the elevator didn't know that I would wear my Spiderman band-aid any day over any other kind. He couldn't even guess that I manage to do my job well and do the best I can with my life, all while keeping an image in my mind of a little boy shouting and jumping excitedly over a new discovery or rushing into my arms for a quick, hard, chummy hug. He has no clue what it means to be Max's mother and that it is Max and only Max who keeps me going and trying and believing.

This is indeed unchartered territory for me - in so, so many ways. But damn, what a journey this is turning out to be: joyful, hilarious and heartbreakingly fleeting.

Does not care that Mami likes wearing nice professional clothes and sitting in an office.

Labels: motherhood, sons

Posted by Tere @ 4/25/2008 | Permalink |

9 Comments

Rick posted at 4/25/2008 10:56 PM
Note to self: do not try to make cute joke to professionally dressed woman about Spiderman Band-Aid.

Loved this post, Tere.

.

Tere posted at 4/25/2008 11:04 PM
Well, it's that that joke wasn't cute - and worse still was his smug-ass face as he delivered it. :-)

InTheFastLane posted at 4/27/2008 7:18 AM
Moms are forever changed by those little guys. And I have worn Elmo band-aids with pride, on occasion.

Bill From Gainesville posted at 4/27/2008 8:24 AM
That was an Awesome post! although I think the guy was just trying to break the ice with you, reach out and connect with someone else, so maybe he isn't really an Ass, but you were there and I wasnt--anyways, that post was beautiful

Balou posted at 4/28/2008 2:23 AM
Beautiful post, T. And for the record, the only band-aids I wear are Hello Kitty ones. ;)

Tere posted at 4/28/2008 9:20 AM
Under normal circumstances, I would agree that the guy was just being nice. But it was his tone that turned me off. A little too condescending for my taste!

Holly posted at 4/28/2008 3:43 PM
Aw, sweet. I love it.

And I gotta get us some of those Band-Aids.

AmandaDufau posted at 4/29/2008 12:57 PM
That was great, T.
Wear that band-aid with pride!
I've proudly worn Blue's Clues and Thomas the Train band-aids myself.

It's a mommy thing, he wouldn't understand.

Lela posted at 4/29/2008 11:42 PM
Personally I prefer the Pirate band aids. If I'm lucky I'll get to stare at Johhny or Orlando all day.