Passing It On

HAPPY OCTOBER EVERYBODY!!!!!!From as far as I can remember, my mom and dad always had me around something creative. Scores of coloring books, fabric, harmonicas and maracas were found in some corner of my home. My fondest memories of my Saturday piano lessons were of my dad and I going to the diner to get gyros and chocolate covered graham crackers. I still have my childhood piano which acts as a wonderful book case and storage for my fabric underneath. I wish I knew what I did with my first books of poetry. I remember sitting in my room with the marble notebooks, writing about my life as an angry teen, or writing songs that I imagined being sung on the radio. Whether I sang them or not, I knew I had hits, so I shared them with other musicians. If I may be honest,that is how my oldest son got here, from "sharing my music" with a then aspiring music producer... Anyway, the point is, my whole life has been surrounded by all of these wonderful acts of art. When I was a teen mom, I took advantage of the free programs that they had to introduce us to culture. I dragged my first born all over and visited every museum in New York City, from the Guggenheim, to the Transit Museum, and the Intrepid. We didn't know Spanish, but we knew El Museo del Barrio , MOMA, and of course, the Museum of Natural History. This is what I loved as a child, so yes, as a parent, I "force" it on my kids. Good thing this creative gene is strong and lasting, all of my children can sing, though only my daughter bypassed the shy gene, I have to catch my sons singing. I remember hearing my son at two years old singing the songs from the Backyardigans in perfect pitch, I mean perfect! My oldest son sits at the computer all day making beats that I promise you, rival some of these producers today. I need him to go ahead and get that going so he can buy momma a brownstone in Brooklyn somewhere. So yeah, I am bragging, my daughter has the dancing grace of a swan, and spends hours writing short stories at 7 (tomorrow she will be 8, YIPPEEE). Did I mention she is an excellent make-up artist, contouring and doing winged eyes like a pro? That is my fault for giving her my makeup kit from beauty school to practice.

This past weekend we attended the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn N.Y. I wanted to celebrate my daughter's birthday and have a great time being outdoors in the most beautiful time of the year in NYC. And beautiful it was. We spent most of the time in the area designated for children's arts and crafts, but we sneaked out to catch an impromptu one-man Shakespeare street performance by a guy who called himself "Ralph". I've never seen Macbeth done quite like that before. Ralph travels the country on his bike performing for anyone who will let him.

I don't know,I mean I try to share what is important to me with my kids. As a parent, I probably like most real parents, can think of a million things we do wrong when raising our children. I probably am frustrated often, cuss at them every now and then, and refuse to share my food a couple of times every two years. So, I choose to share what I know I have down-packed. I'm glad they don't seem to mind either. Spending time passing these things on is what makes my life full, and in those moments, complete.

My daughter is a photographer too, she caught these two of me....