The Tender Heart

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I never physically had kids myself. While this may be a true statement, I do have kids. They come from another mother. They are all very different and beautiful in their own ways. The first born was Katherine Pamela Williams, I call her Kate. But she goes by Kat. And sometimes Katherine. Never Kitty. But she lets me call her Kate. She is the one that emphatically reminds me that I DO have kids. I appreciate that - because it is hard to come into a relationship with someone who has kids and establish yourself as anything more than a friend, let alone a mother 'figure'. Or worse, the step MONSTER. Kate and I had a slow start - she was the last of the three kids to have met me, and she was very methodical and deliberate in her desire to wait to meet me. I was actually thankful for it, because it was nerve racking. The day we met, she was cleaning the kitchen in Dennis' apartment, which she had recently moved into with him. I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with how welcoming and warm she was at that initial meeting after having been so tentative. Since then, Kate and I have grown much closer, and I appreciate so much about her. Kate is the tender heart of the three. She loves animals and little kids - she has a beautiful spirit that eminates to everyone around her. She reminds me of a human Snow White - animals just naturally gravitate to her. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and cries easily when things are touching. This is a beautiful thing! Kate is artistic, although if you ask her, she says she is not - but her love for creating anything is voracious. Her handmade cards are the BEST. In this day and age of texting that is so refreshing! Her sense of adventure is infectious - having traveled to Spain completely by herself - and many other places to study and to teach english as a second language. She is the reason that I've been to Korea, Singapore, Bali and Thailand. These were not originally on the bucket list, but we went there to see what her life as a teacher was like in these places and these trips were so enlightening for both her and us. I am so glad I went - because it shined the light on another dimension of Kate's personality and spirit for me. Another thing that I love about Kate is her sense of humor which is dry and has a sneak attack that makes you laugh minutes after the fact because it is so offbeat. (Country Roads is one of her favorite Catchphrase songs!) Kate is self deprecating at the right moments - which endears her even more to you. She is the one kid that has lived with us the most - and this has allowed me to get to know her many different moods, passions and life experiences. She and I have really learned how to relate to one another, give each other space and in turn our relationship has really grown over the past 13 years. She has embraced me as her Bonus mom, and it warms my heart! Kate has evolved probably the most out of the three from who she was when I first met her - she is now a yoga teacher - something that I truly admire her for - following her dream to go out there and do it! The universe does provide! I am so blessed to have Kate in my life - She truly is a BONUS daughter.

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