At one time, which already feels like a mini life time ago. I was a head up, shoulders back, chest out, stroller pushing Career woman. I use to walk or ride my 20 year old Sears Roebuck, three speed, (pulling my bigs which were my littles then). I would stop at the magazine shop, pick up my Utne Reader, get myself a latte, stop at Adventure Cycling Association (where Paul worked) and get my fill of America’s cross section, and get my hair cut (every three weeks). This would all happen even before I turned the keys to my office. And the first matter of business upon entering my beautiful, quiet, healing space was to put on the radio. And I would exhale with relief to hear that National Public Radio was still being transmitted over the waves.

For anyone who is not aware, I use to be a professional, who owned my own business and had the luxury of raising my two children (Rainy and Torrent) in that office. I was so proud of myself. There I was raising well socialized, educated, polite, sophisticated, worldly children in the midst of helping others reach their ultimate innate human potential. I was a chiropractor, a good one, who adjusted men, women, children, babies, the occasional K-9, and a few of the neighborhood homeless dudes.

Back then I was aware of things, many things; my town, the plight of non-profits, the education battles, the struggles on the Black Foot Reservation, Seattle and Calgary, (they were the two closest big cities around, just 8 hours away) and who is selling the best cloth diapers and covers in a 50 mile radius. I was also in the know politically speaking too. I could converse about many grown-up, professional things. Trust me I was really well informed. I just wish now I could list a few things that I knew then. But I can’t because since then I have nursed a lot (62 months to be exact. The last 20 months nursing twins, so I like to double that current nursing figure. That would bring my nursing grand total, to date, a whopping 82 months!) Like I said, I nursed a lot and I’m still going strong. Nursing and remembering don’t co-exist well with each other.

So, like I just mentioned, here I am now, years later…still nursing, not just one baby at a time but two, Dare and Sanguine. By the way, they will be 20 months on the on the 4th I mean the 6th…you see what I mean. I am not walking to work any more, or reading the Utne Reader, buying the latte or getting my hair cut in some stylish do (We are all well aware of what the hair dos and hair don’ts have looked like the past two years). Instead I am walking to the elementary school, to the park, the library, to the science center, and to the grocery store. The one thing that has remained constant however in my listening to NPR. Every morning at 5:45 I still exhale with relief that National Public Radio is still being funded. When that clock radio clicks on and there is that beautifully clear, calm, radio voice about to tell me of all that has happened since last nights dinner I wait eagerly for the current events. I Even make sure that I am in a comfortable position, with my blankets placed perfectly without rustling. And as I wait patiently for that information to break the silence of the morning all I hear is Dare’s soft, sweet voice calling: mama, mama, mama, mama. Shoot, I missed it. Well, it goes like that all day long. Just as I am about to get the big news, any time of day, all I get is a real life kid either talking incessantly, singing off key, crying as if he has been wounded, laughing like a hyena, or yelling like we are all deaf.

I know it is all OK. As a matter of fact, it is all GREAT! Because now instead of that, sometimes, hard to swallow Dr. title. I have earned or have been bestowed upon some of the most incredibly, meaningful titles that describe my new and dynamic career. Try these on for size… I wear them everyday; Mama, Momica, Mamakins, Dali Mama, and last but not least Dog-ma… Jojo gave me that one. She is the Human Whisperer.