Lily is in self dependence mode and for the most part, it’s damn funny. I’m mostly referring to her clothing choices. At the moment she’s wearing an orange tank top, stripped pants in purples and pinks and the craziest socks you ever done seen. These bad boys are a mishmash of reds, yellows, blues and the toes: the toes are green. We’re not talking about that nice calming forest green or even something reminiscent of the sea and bridesmaid dresses. This is in-your-face-green. It’s the crayon-that-freaks-you-out-green. All in all, the outfit is awesome.
Although she isn’t currently wearing any shoes, when she does they are often on backwards: right for left and left for right. People are constantly pointing it out to me and all I can do is nod and tell them I know. This is where I can usually figure out if they have kids or not: those with will smile and go on; those without look at me with a puzzled expression wondering how a mother could allow her kid to walk around so obviously wrong.
I wish I could dress like that some days, throwing all the color and patterns I want onto my body. I’d be a virtual palette but not for one of your mama’s paintings. Nope, I’d be modern art. People would look at me and say, “What the hell was she thinking?” or “Poor dear must be color blind” or even just sum it up eloquently with a, “DAMN, girl!”
I don’t know how I became this responsible adult with people who depend on me 24/7. Sometimes I look at the girls playing together on the floor and wonder when their mother is going to show up and take them home. It’s like the time Mark and I walked into the first home we ever owned and it was raining in the living room. I reached for the phone to call the landlord and then froze, realizing I was the freaking landlord. I guess it’s their time to wear wild clothes and my time to be boring.
Just not too boring, ‘cause DAMN, girl, I gotta have me a little fun.
Written for Mama Says Om
