My art made me liberal, but I almost lost my family in the process.
She knew at that moment what she would do. Claire packed her joggers and loose t-shirts into the small, wooden box her grandmother's paintings had once been in. She looked in the mirror, brushing her golden brown, curly, afro mass from her face.
Source
She was not always like this. She had been a sweet, little, beautiful, teenager with tea-colored skin, brown eyes, and auburn hair. Her hair had never been allowed to grow all wild, hanging around in a mass of curls around her head and face, no. Her mother had it thoroughly brushed so that it framed her face neatly in a shoulder-length cloud. But that was the first problem.
“I don't want to wear my hair like that anymore”.
This was four years ago, at their peaceful home in East Atlanta village. Claire had returned from school with her hair dyed completely black and stretched out to hang limply on either side of her face.
“What is the meaning of this Mary-Claire?”
That was the first big argument she had with her mother concerning her looks. Two weeks later, she got a tattoo on the right side of her neck and a day after that, she got two piercings on each ear and her nose. When her stretched hair began to come out in an afro again, she had her entire hair cropped short and given a purple tint.
Her mother was going berserk.
She didn't realize how much impact it made on her mother who stood in church every Sunday, leading the choristers and the entire assembly in worship, until her mom came home one day sobbing quietly and didn't attend church for three weeks. In fact, she stopped going to their parish altogether.
When Claire herself had attended once, she had received so many stares and distance that she left the service before the choir came up to minister.
It didn't end at the church, in fact, it seemed like it began there. Claire could no longer volunteer at the library twice a week like she used to, the library manager Mrs. Douglas had asked her to take a “Reflective break” and return when she felt better. She never understood what that meant.
There were no more cookies and lemonade on Sunday evenings to share with kids in the neighborhood either, because the last time her mom made them, Claire had to sit at the table till they ate the last cookie.
Claire had wondered why her life was seemingly different. Her friends, Charlie, Wayne, and Deborah got their tattoos on the same day she did. Wayne had more piercings than all of them and his folks were cool with it. Deborah too had cropped her sleek, black bob and dyed it fire red.
When she clocked 20 about four months later, she moved in with Derek, a guy she had been seeing in the past month. Derek adored her; she awoke every morning to the smell of tea and omelets just like she loved them and pushed her to finish one painting every week.
It didn't last long because one day, she returned from one of the galleries to see her mom on her porch, Deborah quivering behind her in fear.
“I am an artist mom! My art makes me liberal but you and those religious freaks back at home cannot deal with it!”
“Mary-Claire, this is not the way you were raised. Even your grandmother was an artist. She never lost herself to art!”
“I'm finding myself, you're the one hellbent on losing me!”
The surprise visits didn't stop. Once, her mom met Derek and gave him such a hard glare, he turned beet red on the spot.
At this time, she resolved to leave her mom for good, especially since she had a serious argument with Derek after finding out there were two other girls besides her.
She left for Florence, the city of art, hoping to start a life there but life started with her instead when she could barely make a living.
She realized how foolish she had been when she saw Deborah on social media looking all put together, with straight hair, no piercings, and a high-necked blouse to cover her tattoo.
“Hey, what happened to your artistic look?” She had asked.
“We grow up eventually Claire” came the response.
So now she resolved to be content with her life. None of her friends had left their parents, none of them pursued arts like she did, except for Charlie.
As she stuffed all the items into the box to be disposed of, she planned an apology in her heart for her mom. She hoped the portrait she had made was going to be enough because she was going back home.
That was her New Year's resolution.
You have given this story a satisfying ending. The character's resolution is the best decision; indeed contentment is what can make one happy.
Thank you @idlemind. The power of contentment is deep .
People need to explore themselves... although having your hair dyed, getting tattoos and piercings does not determine what kind of person you are, it is simply a way of expressing yourself.
Besides, the decisions that others make about their lives don't have to mean anything about ours, at the end of the day everyone should do what they think is best for them and we don't all have the same goals in life.
I don't agree with Claire's decision but I guess it's a cultural thing.
I know. I am liberal too. Although this is a fictional character of mine, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have done what Claire did. I would have stood my ground and go with the crowd that accepts who I am.
Thank you for reading @gabrieladifazio and being sincere/vocal about your thoughts and opinions.
What a beautiful story, self-discovery is very important. Thanks for sharing this great story.
Thank you King. Self discovery is important indeed.
You conveyed in an engaging way the complexity of being oneself in a judgmental society. It's true that finding our identity can be challenging, but that doesn't mean we should confront our family. They also have their opinions, and some of them may be right, even when we seek our own artistic expression. Your story brilliantly captured the reality of finding our place in the world.
Thank you so much
Humility with contentment is great gain. Perhaps, her age made her act in that way, she needed someone to have guided her all along.
Now, that she has discovered that Deborah discovered the truth earlier, she would return to her mother and not allow her exuberance overshadow her reasoning.
A well scripted story.
She is already returning home. I hope her mum welcomes her with open arms 🥺
She would need to build the trust she had betrayed all over again.
You take us through a transition that is very relatable. Young people sometimes grow away, as they grow up. External appearance often is the most dramatic sign of this growing away. In most cases, the separation from family is temporary, and in a way it seals the family bond. When Claire returns to her mother, it is with commitment and understanding of what that return means.
You write well here, @iskawrites. You write with maturity and insight. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you for this huge appreciation, inkwell. I am honoured.
Wow, Claire has finally grown up. I wish her a safe return to her parents (mom) and am sure she will receive her with open arms. Once a mother, always a mother. Great story too @iskawrites
Once a mother, always, a mother, Claire had to learn that the hard way.
Claire was growing up like every teenager. She was carried away by the emotions of the moment. She was making changes in her physical appearance while longing to be with her family, at church, with her friends. Rebelliousness led her to leave home to find herself. In that encounter she was transformed again .... She shared with a partner who did not value her as she wanted and analyzed that what she appreciated most she had left behind. And she saw that none of her friends had done what she had done. She decided to return to her family in the hope that they would accept her as she was again.
Well done for the story of the week @iskawrites
Thank you so much for reading and giving this detailed comment. I appreciate you plenty.
She almost lost her parents, she took it too far. Once passion shouldn't draw one away from home. She should be grateful for having a mother who cares so much about her.
And she was finally able to see that family is everything and she should not have neglected hers.
The transition is topnotch. Claire was intoxicated by teenage exuberance. Her brain was reset when she realized that others didn't throw away their families to embrace "art."
A big reset! Lol
It's probably a good thing that Claire stretched her wings and tried her dream. Otherwise she might have regretted it forever, not giving it a chance. But I'm glad that when it didn't work out for her, she had the sense and the strength to admit that it hadn't worked out and to go back home to her support.
I'm disappointed in her mother's church group though, that felt the need to ostracize her over her daughter's experiments with self-expression.
This is the best comment ever. I love what you said about her pursuing her dreams instead of regretting not doing so in the future, at least she had the chance to test the waters and had the wisdom to return home when it did not work out.
Of course, her church people had no right to ostracize her for trying to embrace her true self, but these things happen in everyday life, The people who should be quite supportive become those who hurt us by their behavior.
You are amazing, thank you so much for understanding my character better. I love you for this.
Thank you, @iskawrites for showing such nice appreciation for my comment!