Defying Gravity

Our oldest angel is finished with school and is home for the summer.  Being home for the summer is not what it used to be, as she is an independent young adult now who has a life which is separate yet still intermingled with ours.  I love having her at home.  We all love having her at home.  I realize that her days in the nest will soon be numbered since she is now entering her senior year in college, but there is something about having all of my angels ensconced safely underneath the same roof that allows me to sleep more peacefully at night.  I think that most Moms feel that way.

Several years ago, Angel Daughter Number One introduced our family to the musical, Wicked. If you are not familiar with the story, it is based on the 1995 novel that tells the story of, "The Wizard of Oz", from the Wicked Witch of the West's perspective.  The Wizard of Oz, which was first published over a century ago did not divulge much of the Witch's past nor did it go into her relationship with Galinda the Good Witch.  Wicked gave the reader great insight into how and why the Wicked Witch of the West turned out the way that she did. (She was not really wicked at all, but in some ways the attributes which others labeled her with made her appear to be someone she wasn't.)   When Wicked was made into a musical it took Broadway by storm, and the story of Elphaba(The Wicked Witch of the West) finally had it's day.  The musical is wonderful.  It is funny, touching, and for some reason, I can totally relate to the story of Elphaba.  As a matter of fact, I believe that there are many individuals who would relate strongly to her story.  My first experience seeing Wicked was on Broadway in NYC.  We loved it so much that we ended up seeing it a second time when it came to Los Angeles.  I could sit through it a dozen times and never get bored.  I could be Elphaba if my skin-tone was just a little bit greener in color.

Tonight, AD1 is going to see Wicked with her boyfriend The Cheesemiester, her lovely roommate Tessa, and Tessa's boyfriend.  While she was beautifying herself for the evening, I decided to harass her by following her around with the camera for a bit.  After all, it isn't often that I get to do that anymore! (Besides, if she is ever going to be a famous actor, she needs to get used to the paparazzi now!)  It was fun watching her primp and fluff for her big evening in Los Angeles, and as I watched her go through her routine, it reminded me of how far she has come in just twenty short years.  From my sweet, little angel baby to this beautiful young woman, I could almost visualize her at every single age she has been within the memory of my heart.  Bittersweet and absolutely inspiring, I soaked in every moment without getting too mushy.With her two youngest sisters working as her fashion consultants(AD2 was out looking at college housing for next fall or I am sure that she would have had something to add), she finished getting ready and honored me with one of her campiest, most theatrical poses.  When she finished her outfit with some four-inch heels, she stood a good ten inches above my head.  We all got a very good laugh out of that, and although my younger girls wanted me to take a photo next to her(I don't really mind that my short stature is a source of amusement for them.), I had to refuse as I never really ended up getting dressed today and so I didn't want to memorialize the moment.

As we kissed goodnight, and AD1 teetered out the door(heels will do that!), I made sure to etch the moment upon my heart.  It won't be long before AD1 uses her wings to begin "defying gravity".  After all, she has been test-flying them for the past several years and I think they are almost dry now.(Big sigh...)  Ever since she has gone off to college, I have been making sure to record as much of the teenage years, for all of my angels, as I did of the younger years.  I think we sometimes forget that growth and change is not something which only occurs when our children are little and still losing teeth.  There is a lot that can be cherished between the twelve year old molars and the Wisdom teeth extractions; if we remember that our children's growth is something that will continue to happen even as their physical growth slows.  These four angels, this angel, will always be my little girls.  I will guard their history as only a dedicated mother can do, so that when they ask me someday what they were like at six months, six years, or sixteen years, I will have stories to pull from within the depths of my heart.  And they will know that they were(are, will always be)as important to me as the day they were born.

From the tips of their tiny, down feathers to the majestic lengths of their fully-formed wings.  They will know.