Neuroses on Television and at Home

In about twenty-five years, you are going to see my daughter on television. As a great actress? As a comic wit? As a female president of the United States? Nope. She's going to be on that A&E show, Hoarders.

Let me first remind you of my post about a year ago regarding her stashing things. You can read it here. Now, I want to show you a recent picture.

She has to have half her room in bed with her when she goes to sleep. I tried putting my foot down, but she just gets up and gets the things after we close her door. Here, you see: Roger, Bunny Rabbit, Baby Bunny Rabbit, Bunny Bear, Baby Shoes, Meow-Meow, Ariel(Ya-yel), Puppy, Ruby and Dora is suffocating under that pile somewhere.

I'm not sure what is triggering this neuroses in her, but it is in direct contrast to her mother's need for order, open-spaces, purging, cleansing, organizing and being clutter-free (a neuroses all its own).

In other neurotic news, I asked Noah to start thinking about what theme he would like for a birthday this year. We still aren't sure if we are going to celebrate it again in June so his school friends can come to his party, or in August when his true birthday falls. He thought for exactly three seconds and said, " I want a Gershwin party!" As in George Gershwin, composer. *I* think it is awesome, but am pretty sure that not many first-graders are going to stumble over themselves flocking to a Gershwin party.

Am I supposed to be proud of the fact that my son has developed my love of music so much that he has formed an independent opinion as to his favorite composer? I like Gershwin and his music, but he is not my favorite. ( Aaron Copland and Percy Grainger, in case you were wondering) Or do I worry that he might be teased in the future for being different? I'm different and it's a hard road to travel, but nice to come out in the end proud of your own quirky weird self. I don't want to suggest he conform. I want him to be Noah in the end, whomever that may be. But, as a mother, it pains me when I see the possibility of him being teased. I remember being nine years old at a slumber party and being laughed at, teased, and treated so utterly horrible that I ended up calling my mother to come get me in the middle of the night. I don't want my precious boy to endure that kind of torture.

It's a fine line. I want him to be liked for who he is. I don't want him to be teased and ridiculed. I don't want to break his spirit. I can only hope that he can confidently be himself and make others think he's different, yet cool.

Let your freak flag fly, Noah!

Your mommy sure does.