Village Crazy Lady
My chiropractor taught me some daily exercises that’ve really helped my spine and neck stay loose. When I do them, I look like I’m doing Tai Chi, which makes my daughter just giggle.
The thing is when we travel, I end up doing them more often and just about anywhere - what do I care, I don’t know anybody. ;)
She’s lying on her chez lounge while I walk down to cool off. When I get to the water’s edge, I start bending my knees rhythmically and swaying side to side. I hear, “Uh-oh …”
I circle one arm at a time up over my head, moving the palm downward, slowly, and then cross over and begin the other side.
“Moooooooommmm, uh-uh, no-no-no …”
In a flash, Tate joins me in the water; we’re both knee-deep. “Mama, you can’t do your exercises here. There are a million people on this beach and they’re alllll watching you.”
I laugh at the very idea and continue - right side, left side, up and over - oh, it feels so good.
She distances herself from me, chuckling and horrified all in one. “I don’t knowwwww you,” her sing-song voice announces.
She splashes in the waves a bit, checking back to see if I’m done yet. I continue on, elongating the process A) because I’m on vacation and have time to not rush through them like I do most other days and B) because it’s really funny to embarrass her like this. It’s my job to embarrass her after all (my friends who’re terrific parents of awesome, older kiddos always remind me) after all, isn’t it?
Later that night, I hear her on the phone with her father, “Oh and dad, you won’t believe it, Mom’s acting like the village crazy lady every day at the beach, doing her back exercises in front of everyone and it’s soooo embarrassing …”
I giggle to myself, proudly. The village crazy lady from Moana? Oh yeah, I love that funny, insightful Grandma; I’ll take that as a compliment.
Figure she better get used to it, before I start doing it in ways I don’t even realize.
