Family Portraits, Family Sessions, For Parents, Lifestyle Photography, Sweet Stories, The Daydreamer, Travel

Sweet Stories: Saying Goodbye.

Over the past four months I was blessed with having all three of my grown boys at home, even my oldest son whose twenty-five and has spent the last seven years traveling the world.

Below are a couple conversations we had about his next adventure.

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Six Months Ago

Ronnie:  I think I will stay in Croatia for a while.

Me:  Croatia!  Where is Croatia?  I have never heard of it.  It sounds like a communist country?  Is it in Russia?  You don’t want to go to Russia, it’s not safe.

Ronnie:  Mom, it’s not in Russia and it’s not a communist country.  It’s a beautiful oceanfront tourist destination in Europe.  Besides, I lived in China for three months, remember my hostel in Beijing?

Me:  That may be so, but you were under the care of a University in China.  Who do you know in Croatia? What are you going to do there? It sounds sketchy.

Sam:  Mom, you think everything sounds sketchy…

Me:  Everything IS sketchy.

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Fast forward to two weeks ago.

Ronnie:  I have my ticket to Croatia. After I spend a few weeks there I’m going to Estonia.

Me:   Astonia!  Where is Astonia? It sounds like a make believe land in a movie.  I can’t even find it on a map.

Ronnie:  Look, it’s right here.

Me:  Oh Estonia… I thought you said Astonia.

Cedrone:  I thought he said Astonia too.

Ronnie:  I said Estonia (sounds like Astonia).

Me:  Whatever.  Let me see that map.  Ooohh it looks cold.

Ronnie:  It is cold.

Me:  I just thought I’d point that out in case you didn’t know.

Ronnie:  I do know.

Me:  Who do you know in “E” stonia?  What are you going to do there.

Ronnie:  I’m going to register my online business.

Me:  What? You’re a drifter who’s going to let you register a business with no residential address?  I’ve never heard of such a thing.  What’s it in for them?  How much money do they want?  How long do you have to live there?

Ronnie:  Mom, it’s really a thing.  Estonia is the first country to offer programs for online entrepreneurs to register their business with no legal residency.  Look, I can register as a Digital Nomad.

Me:  Let me see that.  Wow.  “Digital Nomad” does sound better than drifter.

Ronnie:  Thanks a lot.

Me:  Just sayin…

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Being a Mother is the hardest job in the world because it means the inevitable, saying goodbye. 

As I pulled away from dropping him off at JFK for his flight to Croatia I got a little teary.  But I was proud of the fact that he knows what he wants and how to go get it.  I also felt like I must have had something to do with his adventurous spirit and resourceful attitude.

Being a mother also means saying and hearing things you never thought you’d say and hear, like “hostel in Beijing,” “I think I’ll stay in Croatia,” “I’m registering as a Digital Nomad in Estonia.” Or “Where is Croatia?” “Where is Estonia,” “You’re a drifter.”  It also means putting aside your often misguided preconceived notions and keeping an open mind while allowing your children to think outside of the box.

I think you can officially say you have succeeded at your job as a mother when you have raised an independent individual who can function on their own among society and is ready to take on the world.  I also think you’ve succeeded when your child is respectful enough to answer berating parental questions even though they’re grown and don’t actually have to.  

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My Son the Digital Nomad

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See More of my year with the boys and Sweet Stories

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To my three sons;

Follow Adventure wherever it leads.

For happiness is what your heart needs.

Climb a mountain as high as can be.

Jump in the water and swim out to sea.

Ride a race car around the track.

Have so much fun you may never come back.

Fly in a plane across the sky.

Watch out the window as the world passes by.

In a train and across the valley.

Through a city and down an alley.

Around the world and back.

I hope you didn’t forget your lunch sack.

I sure do wish you had lots of laughs.

Please send many photographs!

Adventure awaits but don’t forget me.

I’m your biggest fan wait and see.

Love Mom.

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#mythreesons

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Some Great Parenting Books.

My personal parenting belief is that a child should be allowed to express their individuality and assert their independence.  I have started my own parenting book but in the meantime I love these ones below.

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9781684038527

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