Mom on The Street

MOM ON THE STREET
MOM-TO-MOM ADVICE ON LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF YOUR OWN GROOVE

Welcome to our latest monthly column, Mom on the Street (ya know, like Man on the Street). Each month, we'll be
asking moms just like you for a slice of their sage advice, insider tips or tried-and-true wisdom in the hopes that their
unique brand of Mother inspires, assuages, calms strengthens and even amuses yours.

This month's question: If hope springs eternal, what are you hoping for this spring?

Diane Marwood is a mother of two little girls living in an American suburb of Russia. Here's what this friend of The Groove had to say:

“I hope that the sense of spring will always be my state of mind. We just celebrated my mother's 92nd birthday. She is still a 'spring' person—very young and fresh. In reality things can get wet and muddy sometimes, here, in Yuzhno Sakhalin (Russia, just north of Japan) where it is eight degrees—the dead of winter. The sky is very blue and the drifted snow is so very dry that those little snowflakes don't melt—they sparkle! No matter what kind of funk I might find myself wallowing in, to see that fairy dust dancing under the streetlights is a bit like magic. I don't ever want to lose that either.”

Stefanie Garmany is a new mom and women's buyer for the exclusive, upscale fashion pantheon Garmany (www.garmany.com) in Red Bank, New Jersey. Here's what this new mom had to say:

“My hope is that everyday with my child will have that feeling of newness and excitement. A learning experience for both myself and my daughter. I went to school all those years for my career and I now realize what my true calling is: to be a mom—and I love it! I hope that my child experiences all of life's innocence and has a world of discovery this spring. It will be a true discovery for myself as well: life through my daughter's eyes.”

Laura Swanstrom Reece is the founder and creative director of The Silken Thread (www.thesilkenthread.com), the place for unique monogrammed and embroidered gifts. Here's what this Washington, DC area mom-trepreneur had to say:

“I'm a warm-weather type of person. Open-toed shoes, gauzy skirts and light sweaters are my favorite, so I am hoping for warm weather to come our way. The cherry blossoms are due to open soon in DC and we take our daughter to see them every year. It's a nice tradition and one of the first signs of spring in our area.”

Erica Estrada is the working mother of one, darling little boy. Here's what this Dallas, Texas mom had to say:

“This spring I am most hoping for beautiful, warm and breezy days to get out and enjoy the sunshine with my little one. Being from Texas, a state notorious for its sweltering summers and chilly winters, it will be blissful to get outside and play after being cooped up in the house for months. Also, as a working mother who wears heels and pantyhose all day, it feels great to just throw on some sneakers and head to the park with my son. This spring we will definitely be doing the simple things that seem to bring him the most joy, such as feeding ducks and running around in the grass.”