Recipe: Memories for a Lifetime
Ingredients
1 sweet almost ripe twelve year old boy
1 faithful well cultured Inside The Bungalow regular
2 tickets to The Buddy Holly Story (At the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre)
1 dinner complete with ham and ice cream
Season with laughter & friendship
Blend all of the above ingredients together and make a difference in the life of a twelve year old boy!
Isabelle, our faithful regular, has watched and supported the growth of Inside The Bungalow since my mom and I took it over from Coffee Talk two and a half years ago. She has become more than just a "regular", she has become a dear friend, a confidant. She is a genuine soul, one who takes the risk daily by keeping her heart open. Isabelle and Drew (my son, the almost ripe 12 year old) have a special friendship. Each summer, Isabelle takes Drew on an excursion before she returns to France. Last year, they enjoyed the butterfly exhibit at The Desert Botanical Gardens.
What can I say about Drew!? He is just so sweet, thoughtful and loving. All day, I was planning on taking a picture of the two of them, all dressed up. Of course, I needed to document this day, this event, this moment shared between friends discovering what makes them so unique. And then... Three little words..."No pictures, mom." "Just one?" although I knew there would not be a photo, I knew the memories would have to be documented in our minds & hearts. I knew not to push the photo because Drew is entering a whole new realm. He is entering the fragile world of self-discovery...
Drew is entering a stage (the teenage years) where he would rather disappear than receive any type of attention. I explored this concept myself with my yoga guru, Ana Forrest, years ago. Many of us at our core, through the help of the media, upbringing, culture, age, etc. don't know who we are. We buy into the concept that we are not good enough, we are not complete as we are. How much of our day is spent wishing we were somewhere else or someone else? How does this thinking serve us or anyone?
As I work to nurture this quality in Drew, I invite us all to do the same. As we move throughout our day, what if rather than trying to make our internal light as small as possible, "to disappear" what if we took the risk and allowed that internal light to expand from our heart and grow larger than life, larger than we could ever imagine? What would that look like? Just imagine the impact on ourselves, each other and mother nature we could potentially have if we all trusted ourselves, our gifts and our self-worth. Isabelle, thank you for taking the time to spend an evening with Drew. Thank you for validating his worth. Thank you for showing him he has so much to offer and that he can keep his heart open to the world.
How wonderful for Drew to have this great experience with Isabelle during such a new time in his life. These are the times I've always remembered, when special people have come into my life and mentored, shared with me, and cared about who I am becoming. It seems like he's had much caring to develop his loving foundations and as he grows I imagine he'll appreciate these interactions even more. Now if all children could benefit from treasured people and experiences like these, what a difference that would make in so many lives. It only reminds us even more that we all have purpose, because we can all help each other build the light inside. I hope Drew's self discovery is a brillant realization of his beauty and worth and I look forward to getting to know and see his growing light in the days and years to come! Great picture Drew!
Thanks for awesome inspiration Carrie and sharing your sweet lovin' Drew with all of us!
Love,
Jen
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