It is a fearsome thing, indeed, to wake up one day and have it suddenly weigh down on you that you have been charged with nurturing these little people and caring for them until they become autonomous adults, should that day ever arrive.
They're old enough to do a lot of self-care; I don't have to dress them anymore and some days I don't even have to cook for them. This is on purpose, of course -- I know that one day they're going to have to be able to do these things for themselves, so I want them to get the practice now. But in some ways the responsibility is even more weighty and consequential, now that they're older.
Martha will be fifteen years old on Tuesday. The time is growing ever shorter before she is unleashed upon the world, and there is so much she does not understand. I fear for her, and I fear for the world! But I also realize that she is not the first (or last) impulsive and reckless person to join polite society, and if life here at home doesn't suffice to chip away at her rough edges, life outside certainly will do so.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you; those who are moms, those who have moms, and those who are mom to a menagerie. I hope everyone has a relaxing and pleasant day.
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