May 4, 2015 6:00 am Meet Diane Gordon, A Mother At Last!
What do you love to do with your children? How old are they? And what is your greatest wish for them?
On September 24th, 2014 my husband Matthew and I briefly relocated to a remote Texas town of 3,400 people where a young doctor with cowboy boots under his hospital scrubs brought our beautiful baby boy into this world. My son Griffin Charles is now 7 months old and I cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by! After a long and difficult journey to becoming parents, we really want to enjoy each and every moment with him. After almost 20 years of marriage, our destiny of becoming parents came true through adoption. We had almost lost all hope, when the stars aligned and we were matched with a wonderful couple who helped us realize this incredible dream!
My greatest wish as a parent is that Griffin is happy, that he finds what he wants to do with his life, and that he is a good person who treats everyone with respect. Our greatest job is to provide him with the tools to make sure he is successful in all of his endeavors.
When and where are you the happiest?
I am ecstatic and truly blessed this year to be celebrating my first Mother’s Day at 51 years old. I was reminded of this during the wonderful baby shower my colleagues had for me when a dear friend said during her memorable toast, “Diane never gave up and look what she got.” My other happiest moments are when I am surrounded by my family and friends, from walking around Tod’s Point, summer days in Amagansett, traveling to other countries, and introducing Griffin to new things.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
My dream vacation would be to go to South Africa for a Safari with the family. Something about getting away from the hustle and bustle of Greenwich and seeing all of Africa’s majestic wildlife sounds simply fantastic. Though if my husband is reading, a surprise trip back to Paris or Italy is always welcome.
Who has had the biggest influence on you? And what quality do you most admire in a mother?
I know this must be a common answer but my parents were always my biggest influence. My father always had this saying that he wanted to always surround me with LCS (Love, Care and Support).
Outside of my family, my first mentor when I was student teaching was such a role model, she set the bar as to what makes a great educator. I still refer back to her today when I think of what a teacher should be.
I tend to admire the qualities that my mother had when I look at other mothers: Strength, Resilience, and Respect for everyone.
What do you like to do for fun?
I am a self-described estate sale enthusiast, I simply can’t get enough! Otherwise I love exercising, cooking, traveling, taking walks as a family. Not to mention going out to eat. Griffin went to his first restaurant at three days old! I guess you can say that I am part of a foodie family.
What is one of your favorite books? Movies?
Right now most of my reading has been limited to books with my son, or baby related books or baby cookbooks. Outside of children’s books, I tend to gravitate towards reading in the personal development space.
As for movies, I love the classics, from Sound of Music to The Wizard of Oz, or if I need a good laugh, The Birdcage will always deliver.
Besides Motherhood, what other careers/opportunities have you enjoyed? What are your strongest qualities?
I have been actively involved in early childhood education for over 30 years. For the past 27 years I have been fortunate enough to teach Pre-K at the Putnam Indian Field School. Even after all these years I love coming to work every day. The energy and smiles of so many wonderful children is just so rewarding. Being a teacher for this long I’ve become a master negotiator, and waiting so long to finally become a parent has made me very resilient and instilled a strong sense of perseverance. Otherwise, I would say that my strongest qualities are being humanistic and approaching every situation with a deep respect for others.
What is your favorite type of food and what do you like cook?
My favorite foods are Mexican and Central American cuisines. At home, I tend to cook Italian and I have a family recipe for meatballs and gravy that has been passed down from my grandmother, through my mother, to me.
What is your favorite time of day and why?
Mornings are my favorite time of day. I always look forward to meeting my family at a local coffee shop for a weekend breakfast after working out.
Where is your favorite place to Party with Moms and what’s your favorite drink?
I have a few spots on Greenwich Avenue when I get a chance to get out with friends. My new passion is finding local farm to table restaurants. If you do find me out, I will normally be drinking a nice glass of Pinot Noir.