I am an older mother, blessed with babes at age 42 and then again at 45. Sebastian and Sabine, both named after Italian martyrs; especially fascinating as I am not Catholic but they seemed to resonate with both saints. In my early twenties I, like many women my age contemplated having children but as my years climbed higher and I approached my late thirties, I was resigned to being that cool gypsy, artistic aunt that lived all of the world and spoke different languages. Returning from a year abroad teaching in S. Korea I announced to my bewildered parents I wanted to start a band and do something with flowers. And then Maui and Russell came along, with a return to S. Korea, Bali, marriage at the US Embassy in Seoul, Tokyo for his birthday and thoughts of returning to the States. Urban Poppy was born and then the miracle of two children (with two more little miracles I believe wait for us in heaven) came several years later. I was a mother (to be continued...)