Tattoos, Summer Camp and Kat Von D

Tattoos, Summer Camps and Kat Von D

My oldest child, Chris, is going away to a sleep away summer camp for an entire month. I want to have Kat Von D tattoo the words, “Handle With Care” on his forehead, but Chris won’t even consider it even though I offered to pay for the tattoo! I feel sad as Chris packs his sleeping bag, his flannel shirts, his favorite baseball cap, our flat screen TV, our family computer, the contents of the pantry and all of the bath towels. I think he left one for me and one for Mark…my thoughtful young man. I am crying a little as Chris loads everything into the back of the car. As I hug him goodbye, he mumbles something about needing money. I hand him my wallet. It is a special moment between a mother and her eldest son. As Chris drives away with his friends to the airport, I try to put into words what I am thinking. Instead, I snort out through my tears, “Don’t forget to use your deodorant. Floss only the teeth you want to keep. Comb your hair at least once a week. I love you!” I blow him kisses as the van pulls away. Chris is pretending not to know me. I am stressing out as there is so much Chris doesn’t know about yet. I still have so much to share with him. Chris needs to know that for every mountain he climbs, there is a reward of a GREAT view at the top. He needs to learn how to find his laundry hamper with his socks. I need to teach Chris to avoid fake people and never to believe people when they ask him to be honest with them. Most of all, I want to teach Chris to text his mother once in a while.

Jessica de la Davies-Author: It's A Lie!

Jessica de la Davies-Author: It's A Lie!

It's A Lie!

IT’S A LIE! The American Dream is all a lie. It comes down to one simple thing: HOW MUCH HAPPINESS CAN YOU FINANCE? The innocence of embarking to your local mall with a brand new “interest free” credit card gives you this feeling. You know that feeling of elation that you feel when you find a public toilet without urine dotting the seat? Or when your cell phone call goes through on the first try? OMG, it’s probably a lot like the way Adam and Eve felt day tripping through the Garden of Eden. Anyway this “interest free” card is magical and you must never, ever leave home without it. Over the past year, many Americans have found that the “meaning of life” actually includes-though not limited to- food and being able to afford some. This winter, one 92 year old man froze to death because he didn’t pay his electric bill and the electric company turned it off his heat. If the American dream is a lie, then exactly how much happiness can you continue to finance? Maybe we can all live on love instead? There was this great songwriter- he’s no longer with us-but his words still stand strong. John Lennon wrote that “love is all you need.”