A Good Place to Be

My husband, Bob, and I sent our son, Casey, off to college last month. We spent weeks preparing ourselves for the big moment, talking to other parents and getting lots of good advice. I knew it was important not to fall apart, but when the time came, that’s exactly what I did. I stood in front of my son with a torrent of tears streaming down my face while he tried to cheer me up, all the while barely able to contain his excitement about the adventure ahead of him. After giving him one more hug, Bob and I headed out of the dorm where I promptly burst into tears again.

“What if he hits his head on the bunk bed above him when he wakes up?” I sobbed to my husband. “What if he never takes the vitamins I put in his desk drawer?”

Bob assured me that Casey would probably not hit his head on the upper bunk, at least not more than once, and that he would most likely not suffer from malnutrition with or without extra vitamin D.

Even so, it took a full week before I managed to calm down, a process greatly helped by a text from Casey letting me know that he was not only having a good time, but had yet to sustain a bunk bed related concussion. I began to breathe easier. I remembered some of my own goals, which I had put on hold while Casey was living at home. I felt a renewed sense of freedom, particularly about my writing. I called to tell Casey about it.

“You aren’t going to write another memoir about me, are you?” he asked. “A chronicle of my high school years this time?”

“Don’t worry,” I told him. “My next book is a novel, not a memoir, and now that you’re away at college you can write anything you want, too!”

No doubt he was thinking about how he’ll portray me in his own memoir someday.

Best wishes to proud parents everywhere,

Ellen

Procrastination

Greetings and welcome to my website! Although I haven't posted a blog in a while, you'll be happy to know I've been busy posting lots of important news on facebook such as how cute my cat looks when it's sitting on top of the piano or attempting to destroy the back of the sofa.

When I haven't been captivating my facebook friends, I've been working on my second book, which will be finished by the end of the summer. I've even given myself an added incentive to complete it. If I finish it as planned, I will celebrate by having dinner with President Obama. I'm sure he'll be happy to fit me into his schedule, because he loves having dinner with his supporters. Why else would he have so many drawings to get people to dine with him?

Until then I look forward to enthralling my facebook friends with news about Fluff and my attempts to finally finish a game of Words with Friends.

Many blessings for a great summer!

Ellen

A Spectacular Journey

It's February and this is my first blog for 2011. (Who knows when I'll write the next one?) I've been busy working diligently on my second book and going on adventures with my son, Casey. In my last blog, I mentioned that Casey became a finalist in the 2010 Canon Photography in the Parks contest. He ended up winning first prize, and as a result he received a new camera and photo printer. Since then he's been planning our summer vacation to Glacier National Park. As always, he's in search of exciting opportunities to expand his photo gallery.

I see now that as parents, we don't know in the beginning where our journey with our kids will take us. A friend of mine said recently that she has become a ballet aficionado after attending more than 25 children's dance performances. "I had no idea what a battement tendu was until my daughter started taking ballet lessons," she said.

Although I still have no idea what a battement tendu is, I do know what she means about parenting and the unexpected experiences it can bring. Because of my son's intense passion for exploring the great outdoors, I've become an avid hiker along with him, venturing off trail with only a topography map and a GPS to guide us. We've slid down snowy mountains in the dark of night, praying that the sky will stay clear and that our headlamps will keep working. "You have to be willing to hike at night if you want to take a picture of the sunset from the top of a mountain," Casey insists.

I've lost sleep re-living our most perilous moments and listening to my husband question my judgment (sometimes with good reason, I admit). Even so, I wouldn't trade our adventures together for anything. Captured in countless photos are the hidden waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge, panoramic scenes of the Cascade Range and the beautiful Oregon coastline illuminated by the last light of the day. Through my son's eyes I've seen unforgettable beauty.

As the year unfolds, I send love and blessings to parents everywhere. May your children bring you joy and take you to exciting places you will remember forever.

Best wishes,

Ellen

Photo by Casey Currey-Wilson