S.O.S. (Signs of Summer)

New York is an exciting place to call home because there's always something going on ... and with Fleet Week comes the unofficial start of summer.
The arrival of thousands of Navy sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard officers coincides with the season of graduations and weddings. Movie premieres bombard the cineplexes and families host barbecues as the days get longer and the temperature rises. These gatherings bring people together to create special memories and form emotional bonds ... and while some moments are fleeting, others last a lifetime.
Dreams of finding a job or falling in love tend to blossom in the summertime. Goals that once seemed out of reach now lie within one's grasp as fear turns into fearlessness, which are reflected in events as deliberate as launching the USS Missouri into World War II (Japan signed its unconditional surrender to the United States on the warship) or as spontaneous as being the object of a sailor's desire (like the nurse in the Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph for LIFE magazine).
That historic occasion represented the culmination of sacrifice for a cause. As for that iconic image, it captured the need to live in the moment. While these philosophies -- taking on new responsibilities and indulging in carefree fantasies -- are applied on a daily basis, summer is the best time to see them on display. For those who spend most of the year playing it safe, now is the perfect opportunity to set sail for adventure.

Mommy Dearest

The bond between woman and child is recognized annually in the United States on the second Sunday of May. But in the Davis household, Mother's Day is every day.
When my mother gave birth to my oldest brother in 1972, she left the workforce to become a full-time parent. She once told me that she chose to forgo a career because she didn't want a stranger raising her kids. I didn't know what to make of this revelation because the women's liberation movement -- which was in full swing when she made this life-altering decision -- was about achieving balance in the home and at the office. As I got older, I realized that no goal is achieved without sacrifice ... and being a good parent is no exception.
Putting a child's needs ahead of your own isn't an easy feat to pull off, but my mother did it with ease. She probably dreamed of going to college and traveling around the world, but those aspirations went unfulfilled as she devoted herself to maintaining the house and nursing our ailments (among other things). Living under the same roof occasionally made us bring out the worst in each other as I reached adolescence (and adulthood), and differences of opinion sometimes turned into bitter conflict.
Unlike the baby boomer generation, I can't imagine being a wife and mother at the age of 25. (Britney Spears did it, and look how her life turned out!) Generation X members are career-oriented people who have no qualms about delaying motherhood or marriage ... and while that makes me an "old maid" in my mother's eyes, I also know her love for me is unconditional.
The relationship between mother and daughter is as complicated as it is everlasting ... but it's one of the most rewarding connections that two females can share. I love you, Mom!