Further Insight into my Insanity: a small note to my Mother

It's genetic.

This is not to say that my sisters don't having serious nesting insticts, because they most certainly do. Charlee is a terrific cook, sewer, and gardener. Meredith also excels at cooking, decorating, fashion, and knitting. They both enjoy an attractive environment and have a good eye for it.

But I can go for 36 hours on no sleep, food, and not really feel tired as long as I'm doing a creative project where I can impact my environment creatively. It's as though I am chemically, genetically, divinely compelled to do it.

In this, only my mother can truly empathize.

When she isn't on quilting retreats, she's doing glass mosiac art pieces in her barn studio. When not glass, she's a serious gardener. When not tending, she's building furniture - like the built in entertainment system or the redwood outdoor day bed. When she's not building furniture, she's attacking her bathroom tile, or playing with power tools, or knitting, or probably something completely incredible.

And yes, she will have trouble falling asleep at night...12am...1am...2am... and up at 5am because an idea for tile layout has struck her and she needs to draw it so she can go back to sleep.

Sounds painfully familiar.

I also get many of my talents from her, the things I'm proud of and I lean on in my career: social acuity, charismatic joke telling and teaching, persuasion, extroversion, mentoring strength, etc. We've both made businesses out of our artistry, creativity, ingenuity, and overall "something extra-ness". She became a marketer/business model advisor and teacher. I became a dancer/teacher/coach.

There is something that feels less lonely when I think about these things, when it's 11pm and I'm just dragging out my joint compound bucket. To know that it's not just a hobby, it's something physical that I can prove. It feels validating.

So, to my mother, in a month I'm already thinking about mothers and legacies and this genetic pool we all swim, thanks for this chemical imbalance that deprives me of much needed sleep, keeps me injured, and brings immense joy into my life. Thanks, Mom.