Thank you dear reader!

Dear Reader,
Thank you for your tremendous response to The Portable Mother. What started out as an attempt to get my thoughts down about living a "good" life for my Pablo and Nina...turned out to be something else altogether. Your emails, your phone calls, your posts on this blog and other forums that I belong to show that: I love writing it, and you're having a blast reading it.

Who's reading The Portable Mother? Mothers of young children. Mothers of older children. Also, men and women in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's. Men and women who have Mothers, and men and women who have lost their Mothers. People who had great mothering...and people who had less than great mothering. People who love(d) their mothers and people who less than love(d) their mothers. People who remember their mothers and people who can't remember any longer.

Readers have told me they send posts to their family members and friends, that its their way of telling them something and not having to say it themselves. Sometimes, you can "hear" a message when it comes from a stranger.

Here's the thing. Your job as a mother in the beginning, is about survival: getting your child socialized and fit for human life. You start at zero with your newborn. Eating, drinking, walking, talking toilet training, dressing, bathing, shoe tying, bicycle riding, reading, writing, etc.

It is just when your child becomes an adult and leaves your home, that you want to convey the interesting stuff, the topics I'm addressing here. But they're gone! And what's more, they don't want to hear it!

That's why I have readers in their 20's, 30's, 40's -- who finally are ready to hear it. They suddenly are open. It is amazing to me how many young people have written me, acknowledging a lack of thoughtful, common sense information in their lives. What happened? They were so busy living, and trying to get away from Mother...that they forgot to ask and, more importantly, to listen.

Even as adults, successful or struggling, there are days when we miss the iconic presence that is MOM. We want Mother -- for that caring, in-your-best-interest advice that no one else can give. How I wish I could ask my Mother certain questions today.

So thank you, dear reader, for your confidence and for your inspiration. Thank you for sharing your stories and giving me ever new ideas and topics to address. Upward and onward.