The Gift that Star Wars Gave Me

Star Wars

What you just read is 100% and completely true, I don’t miss the baby days AT ALL. These days, I love to hang out with my kid. He is funny, smart, and he brings a smile to my face with all of the clever ideas he comes up with. He tells me silly jokes, he is fun to play with, and we enjoy many of the same things. I look forward to mother-son dates with him and our recent vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth – well, it was pretty darn awesome. Before I became a mom, these were the days I looked forward to the most: riding roller coasters with our arms in the air and screaming together with joy;  going to see a movie together; and even those sweet moments where he calls me “Princess Leia.” These were all at the top of the list of experiences I had hoped I would have with my child.

When I found out I was having a son at my 16 week ultrasound, I remember being worried that I would not be able to bond with him because I was, well, a girl. But now I embrace all of it … and as it turns out, my son and I apparently enjoy many of the same things, one of which includes traveling to galaxies far, far away and getting lost in the stories of George Lucas’s Star Wars.

When I was his age, the first movie I ever saw in a theater was Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. I am not sure why I begged my dad to go see that movie, but he sat through it with me and he loathed every minute. Thirty-five years later and I have remained a fan, embracing my geekiness to the point of investing in the movie collection, toys, and even clothing inspired by the movies. I confess, by doing this, I could also indoctrinate my son into loving it since my husband could care less about the whole story of the Skywalker family and planets like Tattooine and Endor.PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Hollywood_Studios_7468945135

All it took was one viewing of the first movie.

My son was immediately enthralled with lightsabers, aliens, and the story that unfolded with Luke and his journey to becoming a Jedi. Much to my husband’s dismay, but my joy, my son had also become interested in the ways of the force.

It makes me incredibly happy when my son asks me to play “light saber duel” with him. When we went to Disney World and he asked to ride Star Tours twice, I happily obliged, and was even more excited when he jumped with joy to take a picture on a speeder bike. My kid can tell you the difference between Boba Fett and his father, Jango; he can identify every character and he can tell you the difference between a Jedi and a Sith Lord.

These moments, right now, are the motherhood experiences I have been waiting to experience. When we did our adoption application, we had to do a biography about ourselves and we were interviewed about things we looked forward to the most. Something that was BIG for me was finding something that I could bond with my child over. For my son and husband, they bond over cars and trucks.

For my son and I, we have Star Wars.

I am thrilled he is no longer a baby. I now look forward to many years of space travel with him as there has been a resurgence in popularity to the Star Wars universe. We will have new movies to attend, new characters to learn and explore, and a land coming soon at our favorite theme park that will be fully dedicated to these epic stories that have withstood the test of time. I can now look forward to future mother-son movie and comic-con date nights, playing with cool new Star Wars toys, and dressing up, possibly even with the possibility of joining the 501 Legion or the Krewe of Chewbacchus as he gets older.

The Gift that Star Wars Gave Me I New Orleans Moms BlogI would be a liar if I didn’t admit that I have already planned a mother-son date to see the new movie in December, complete with us dressing in costume and maybe even having a meal that leans toward our favorite intergalactic foods (Bantha Milk, anyone?)

I guess my point is that, more than anything, I have now someone else in my home who shares the love for this epic tale, and he is my best little guy.

And I couldn’t be happier to teach him the ways of the force.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I love this post! My mom was always a big Star Wars fan, so much so that she used to lie about how many times she saw the first movie in the theater. So growing up, we were always a Star Wars family. My daughter is still only 10 months, so no movie date in December, but I can wait till she’s older and I have hopefully a similar story to tell!

  2. We love Star Wars. We made a family friendly Star Wars fan film with my daughter and her friends. It’s a parody between Disney’s “The Parent Trap” and “Star Wars” called, “THE PADAWAN TRAP”. It’s a story about two girls, one a Jedi, and the other a Sith, who meet up at Jedi Training Girls Camp for the first time and discover that they are sisters. It has action and humor, and a unique story that is entertaining all around.

    Check it out if you get a chance: https://youtu.be/3OpyTfhoB70

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