One More Thing

It has finally happened; all my children are adults. (Quickly I want to add; at least you think you are.) Parenting-wise, I find myself at the most interesting point in life; four children, ages 18 to 29, two wonderful sons-in-law, two perfect grandchildren. One would think I would sit back and say with satisfaction, “My job is complete."

Instead, I find myself at the most treacherous place in all of motherhood: the part where I have to let go. This is infinitely more terrifying than your first step, first day of school, first date, even more frightening than when you left in the car alone for the first time (or the 100th time).

I have tried, with all my might, to live what I say and say what I live. I have made the best decisions that I knew to make and while some don’t look so good in retrospect, I am confident that I did my best at the time.

I have been thinking about some things I want to say to each of you (and all of you)...in case I didn’t say them well enough or passionately enough the first time or failed to convey their importance. In case your fingers were in your ears or your music was turned up to loud. In case you were just pretending to blow me off and you just put them away for future reference.

This time I will write it down and you can say, “this is my mother’s handbook for life,” when you take it out and reread it again and again because of how wise and insightful you will find me to be. (I hear you laughing).