I attended a symposium today and networked with providers and curriculum developers.  I had to do those meetings in spurts, because people overwhelm me when I have to be “on” in a personal manner.  Oddly, when I gave a presentation to 300 people one time and then on another occasion when I gave the sermon at my church twice, it was easy.  Being intimate and having impeccable social skills with one new person eludes me.  Unless I have a duty–like providing supervision. I’m a good supervisor.  Small talk and networking is hard though.  I can do it about four times, and then I need an hour or so break.  I’m exhausted right now because I had to do it a lot today.  I have to always remind myself that if I said one thing that was odd or something strange that is probably not what people with whom I interact tend to remember.  I tell myself that anyway…

It was just Mother’s Day.  We had record low temps here, so we went to see “Monkey Kingdom.”  I can honestly say that was one of the best films that I’ve seen in awhile. That is what we did with our Sunday afternoon.  I had no idea that we got our prejudices quite along the evolutionary lines.  Social class is brilliantly captured in this film.  But, so is a mother’s love.  The heroine of the film doesn’t sleep in one longer scene until she finds her kidnapped baby.

Back to today; although, hopefully my itinerary reads less of a digression when I relay my afternoon.  I attended a breakout session on how violence relates to suicide.  It was very good, and I was glad to see research that shows that those who hurt others are also hurting, and may be successful with suicide eventually.  That is what makes the most sense to me when I think about violent acts.

The moderator introduced the speakers, and the speakers chose to gauge their audience so they had us introduce ourselves.  This effort proved good for me because I needed to talk to a woman who was there so she can help us coordinate referrals for families and children.  However, when the moderator introduced herself as we all did, I kept looking at her.  I hope that she didn’t notice me!

As the presenters continued, I would look over at her and then I began to note the striking similarity between her and her son.  Her son would be in his mid-thirties, but he has been gone a long time now. He is a forever a misunderstood teenage boy who committed a heinous act and then took his own life.

Character from a children’s book about monsters

She introduced herself like all of us.  First name.  Last name.  A now immortal last name.  I kept looking at her.

After about 20-minutes I had the strongest urge to want to hug her.  She is Mom.  She looks like any middle-aged-Mom.  With all that has happened to her and work for the good of others and mental health promotion is miraculous.  What is it like for her when random strangers embrace her?  Say stupid things to her?  Ask her the most insensitive questions that anyone could muster?  I didn’t hug her, but instead turned in my evaluation at the end of the presentation and thanked her.  I made eye contact and smiled.

It was just Mother’s Day.  I hope that her other son wished her a Happy Mother’s Day.

Mothers usually want to protect their children.  Would do anything for their children.  I’m sure that she is no different than most of us.  When she introduces herself in public, I can not imagine what being a mother means to her.