Just back from a concert. A ROCK CONCERT!!!! The first one since my daughter was born nearly eight years ago.

This is sad.

I wanted to be happy. 

So I invited a bunch of friends to hear The Motels and Berlin at the Marin County Fair. It was my daughter's first concert. She spent the nearly 1 1/2 hour Motels' set draped across me as we sat on chairs under a big tent asking if it would soon end. I still managed to sing along to "Only the Lonely," and danced and wiggled underneath my splayed daughter. 

Look when a mother has to rock, she's gotta rock. I was still doing my mother thing, but also my own thing. 

I needed it.

Then we took the kids for rides and games at the fair. We returned to our already laid out blankets outside the seating area as I knew sitting still wouldn't work with the children. I arranged the patchwork of blankets so our sight lines were perfect, and we were in front. Berlin came on and I never stopped dancing and singing. It was like the ghosts of the '80s swarmed and invaded me. I was a possessed, crazed, long in need of a night of fun mother. 

I noticed a number of us in the audience. 

A kid accidently kicked over my glass of wine. I didn't mind because I was kicking up a storm myself. Mimi and I even danced together to a couple of songs. 

Then the evening ended with a fabulous fireworks display. All the mothers agreed -- we have to do this way more often and while we love our kids, next time, we're going to leave them home.

Still, it was sweet to share this rock concert, her first, with my daughter.  

It was my past mingled with my present. What a gift.