Stacey Parshall
Our treasure maps came together one Saturday nite in my creative cave, otherwise known as the dinin room of my house. After fillin the oven with fat Italian bread for homemade pizzas, oozin with cheese made by the hands of our children, I joined my girlfriends on the kitchen counters and shared authors.. who was tellin our stories and speakin to us as women, as mothers on our spiritual paths. After a quick dinner, we cleared the table and
began our journeys. We laughed and sipped MGD'S while the kids weaved around the table, staring in awe as we tore pages and pictures from magazines, shared wishes and dreams, and brought our treasure maps for our futures to life.
The fashion magazines we all claim we won't read anymore because they only screw with our heads, a couple of Newsweeks, Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle and my Writin mags, (that I just couldn't cut, so the free mag from Borders had to do) showered off the table. The air was filled with the sweet scent of my serentity candle mixed with Elmers&Mac226; glue, while Saturday Night at the 70's cranked from the stereo. I was on. As the storyteller, the keeper of details, trivial and often useless, I was in rare form, only because I was with two rare jewels, these moms I am blessed to call my friends. Each song threw out a story, whether it was about my older sister who died last summer but lives in spirit in my heart and soul, or a zany story I couldn't believed I was sharing, I tripped down memory lane. No insult whatsoever that these young ladies don't remember the 70's like I do.. Michelle is 30 and Rachel 25. There was no force in the laughter, and all our peace was embraced. We were creating!!!! (fill the blanks)
We had talked about such a night for months. I wanted something different and fearin that the swing of depression I would get from continuin to plan a weddin, which will be an incredible party, but since my future dude isn't here yet, and my 35 birthday is, I hesitate on goin down the path that hurts me, leaves me lonely. Between that and some poor choices in the dude department recently, I needed something excitin, cleansin, dazzlin and creative.. for my soul. In the comfort of this moment, we laughted, shared pictures- if one of us found the word or color the other needed, we gave them as gifts to each other. And I had one of the most amazin nights in a long time.
I worked quickly, cuttin words and pictures. Like so many other things in my life, I flew towards my page fearlessly, a little off course, yet landin where I needed to. My map has a background of desert mountains, New Mexico, of course, with a lodge porch doorway in the corner, and words like dazzlin, and soul.. and FIND YOUR VOICE! Spread across the page. On the left side, I put together a beautiful ensemble from the karma makeup mag ad, the jewelry is gold against warm orange pants, and a satin blue blouse. The nail polish is pretty dark for a 30 something mom in Richfield, but hey..i still wear patent leather even tho the 80's are gone!! Even her anklet bracelet sings to me. But when I hesitated about the face, which isn't mine, nor do I want a different one than mine, I found a circle of mixed nuts I was driven to cut out. My girlfriend Rachel laughed and said I should make that the head! It was perfect!! That is me, a beautiful mixed nut!!!! So I thanked her, and loved her as she worked. Her beauty is radiant, it shows in her amazin twins.
Across the table from me I watched my best friend Michelle work thru her treasure map, a map she hesitated to start cuz she has a life that she loves and wants for nothing more. What does it say that she was afraid to say that? Her journey to this moment has been long and hard but the love in her for her new husband, her children and her life is inspiring. And she has always had a place in her life for me. In fact, as my eyes tear up now, she found two little princesses, one sweet little blonde child with her magic wand, and one mixed blood child, with a mass of curls rollin across her shoulders, proudly wearing a tiera, and placed them on her map. That was us, even tho in this lifetime, we have only been friends in our adult life. She too is radiant, and a gift from the Universe to me.
As our children all finally dozed, fallin asleep after bein pumped up with juice and chocolate cake (of course- we had chocolate cake), we shared our masterpieces, steppin closer to our hearts. I saw both Rachel and Michelle in ways I didn't before. After good-bye hugs for everyone, I sat at the table, the house silent, my pencil in my notepad. The dishes could wait. I was gonna hold on to those peaceful moments we created. The candle had been replaced with a little sage as a thank you, like my grandmother taught me. I took a deep breath and the tears came slowly. I knew that I was loved.
Stacey Parshall
resumee: I currently a mixed blood single mom of a nine year old daughter and am employed at the Playwrights' Center as the Office Manager. I am also beginnin the MFA for Creative Writing at Hamline. previously, i was a counselor for nine years, and hold a Masters of Liberal Studies in Child Social Policy.
