ALT-1 Celebration of Mothers Day
The five friends chose Mother's Day to gather. When they agreed on the date no one in the group actually realized it was Mother's day. Everyone in the group being women; only two have mothers still living, one woman a grandmother and mother of three, one a mother of four daughters. Three of the five women have chosen with purpose and determination not to bear children. Five women, a family, none related by blood or marriage but family none the less.Olive began her day in bed. Her Partner Jordan on one side and her 8-year-old daughter on the other. She lay awake quietly. Not wishing to disturb her bedmates Olive organized her day in her mind.The others would meet at her home at three. She looks at the clock, eight a.m. She isn't intending to do a lot of housework, but she does have a few chores in order to get ready. Once up, after preparing breakfast for the girls, she would go to the store to pick up some things for the grill. Chicken for Shawn who was on a special diet to counteract her arthritis. Veggies for her vegan teenagers and artichoke hearts as her own special treat.Just then Mandy, the 16 year old, came in and kisses Olive on her cheek, wishing her happy mothers day she crawls into the king sized bed scooting the eight year old over and putting her arms around both little Franny and her mom.Olive would not see Lina the 19 year old or Addy the 15 year old until well after noon. It is Sunday and the teens attend their beauty rest with a comfortable passion.Meanwhile, across the city, Jordan snores lightly and sleeps deeply. She is dreaming of her garden. In the dream she finds a tiny flower that she could not identify. Later, after her morning coffee, she would scour her yard looking for the flower of her dream.Shawn and her partner of 25 years Rhett, spent the morning in bed, having their, "quality time" with each other. Rhett, on the road a lot with her job, has a home on the coast while Shawn keeps her house in the heart of town. Shawn is enjoying her first year of retirement and spends a lot of time traveling with Rhett over past several months.Bella at 67 hasn't ever really retired but continues to work. She enjoys working and running her home businesses not just because she needs the extra income but also because she is never one to be still. Nanny jobs, gourmet catering, screen-printing and home decorating are but a few of Bella's enterprises.At 8:00 Bella has been up for several hours already. The night before her grown son and daughter took her out to eat in honor of Mother's Day. Her two other grown sons are out of the country, one calls and sends flowers. The other hasn't acknowledged her existence for several years now.The five women sit together on the back deck. Everyone has eaten and a cool spring breeze rustles leaves and plays with the wind chimes. A pitcher of frozen Margarita's is served.Rhett has brought her own home brew. Rhett never drinks anything she hasn't brewed herself nor does she smoke anything she hasn't rolled herself.Shawn tells of a youthful adventure involving world travel, love and in the end a hard to come by abortion.Bella tells stories of her past that make everyone hold their sides and raise their voices in magnanimous laughter. Bella's charm and effervescence is a tangible force effecting all.Shawn's eyes twinkle with a playful light as Rhett winks at her from across the table.Deloris, Olive and Jordan's white haired neighbor who swears she was born in 1926 but doesn't look a day over 60 joins the group after having dinner with her own family. Deloris' new boyfriend is 67; she has always adored younger men. Her blue eyes always crinkle just a little when she smiles and her snowy hair is more platinum than white.Olive partakes of the companionship and the combined wisdom represented in the gathering. Conversations move liquidly from topics of love, childhood, abuse, childrearing, health, finances politics, gardening, work, sex and coffee. Olive is awed by the honor that is bestowed upon her of having such an eclectic group of wonderful women gather in her home.As twilight settles around the women, candles are lighted and the fireflies dance about. Crickets begin to chirrup and the birds settle in for the night.After a long and listening silence the women talk about spirituality and science. Each woman speaks from her heart. Each woman releases her soul to the group. They all agree that it is time to change the world, together.
