It starts when our babies are little. We make guesses as to how they will turn out. 

"He's so creative, I bet he'll be an artist." "She's so agile, she's going to be a gymnast." "He just loves animals, he's sure to become a veterinarian." So what happens when they grow up and become another version of those guesses? In my case, my son the "artist/animal lover" grew up to be a taxidermist!

Who saw that one coming?

Accepting our children for who they are is the most important piece of our relationship with our young adult babies. I had to laugh when my son began his taxidermy studies. It fit him perfectly. Me? I'm a slightly spiritual pacifist, and dead animals don't exactly fit in my world...or my décor. But when I was awarded a lovely, mounted deer head for Mother's Day last year, I had to embrace it. What was more important--a house dedicated only to trendy Buddhas and aromatic candles...or giving my son the message that I love and accept him for who he is?

But that didn't stop me from putting pretty necklaces on its antlers.