On Feeling Needed

Not so many years ago there
were things that only I could
do.

There were many of those
things.

Make breakfast,
wipe a runny nose,
change a diaper,
buckle someone into
a carseat.

Then it was potty training,
making hot dogs or grilled cheese
sandwiches for lunch,
teaching them to tie their shoes.

Pretty soon we were up to
teaching them to make their
own lunch,
they learned how to comb their
own hair,
their clothes matched without
my help,
and their rooms became completely
their responsibility...no more
Mom clean-up!

Apparently Warren and I have
taken that part about helping
our children become independent
pretty seriously because my heart
did a flutter this morning when
Mikey asked very sincerely if I
could find him a pair of socks.

This is a rare request as he has
about a million pairs of white socks
and he knows how to find them, but,
the basket of whites was still unsorted
and in our room where Warren was sleeping.
So, this was the reason for the request.

I don't know why it so blessed me to
sort through this basket looking for
perfect matches but it did.

I guess sometimes you still want to
feel needed and relevant in your kids
lives.

Did that sound like a complaint?
It was just the opposite.
We are so thrilled and blessed to
watch our kids
grow up and take on more responsibility.
It is just so nice
to be asked to do
something tangible again.

This Mommy is growing up.

If you have been at this point in life
what did you struggle with?

Was it the letting go?
Holding your breath while they
risk their life and limb?
Wanting to micromanage their every
decision?
Not feeling needed anymore?

I didn't realize how comparatively
little I actually
do for them these days
until that small request was
made.

These days it is much more about
the emotional and thoughtful things
of life in which I usually participate.
The daily routine is fairly well established
and runs itself, for the most part.

Motherhood...it is the best gift
and the hardest challenge.

Enjoy the young people in your life
today..."tomorrow" they will be grown.

♥♥Becky K.♥♥