The 3rd

My mother the hostess loves to be. She purchased tiki torches, tequila & mixers. Pulled out an old bar mixer from the 80's. Put raspberries on finger sticks. I, being my mothers daughter, filled the kiddie pool, laid the lawn chairs out in line with the sun, set aside 4th of July themed nailpolishes, pulled books, journals, and oil. Cousin makes the drive, with two iced coffees in hand. Nothing could be better. For some reason the act of giving coffee, for thinking ahead, without asking, to be surprised with coffee is like the best thing in the world. There's a house full of women of all stages of life. I could name them - want to know?

1. There's Matriarch, Entertainer, Pot Head, Giver - endlessly giving, Energy
2. There's Young Mother, Bipolar, Experimental, Secret Kindness, Cheapskate, Sadness, but, Quick to Laugh
3. There's Young, Newly Single, Sensual, Sexual, Finder of the Self, Non-Apologetic, Seductress
4. There's the Child, Reminds Her-of-Me, Awkward, Hilarious
5. There's Me, and I am all that I write about

We sit in the sun eating berries, painting, browning. It feels nice to host people & to give them something which is good, momentum, to offer them an afternoon that encourages them to be vivacious into the evening. It prompts me to be vivacious into the evening, laying on the wood dock, remembering the lake as a child when we were fearful of monsters and bodies with hands floating up to reach for us, that lake, where we jump into the water and pass around juice and laugh because we're children all over again. I say over & over Remember When's.