Independent

As my three children GROW and BLOSSOM...

I hope that they are INDEPENDENT people.

Trust me when I say that I am NOW quite independent,

but I so wish this adjective described me more when I was younger.

I loved home.

I loved going home to my parents.

Once older...

I followed the crowd...

(well, I did love a great party or two or three or four.....!)

Now hubs ...HE'S independent.

Drives me nuts.

It's what attracted me right to him though.

Our children?

My dream for them is to be happy...love life.

I would love for them to be so many other things...

especially INDEPENDENT!

Today, Laney and I were creating in the art room.

In a few days, Laney has a class trip to our local park.

She told me that maybe she could just go alone...with her class, without me, and I could pick her up...

just this one time.

Silence...

I think I was trying to figure out how to collect all of the shattered pieces of my heart that smashed to the floor.

Then she showed me her artwork.

Yes, I want my children to be independent...

but

how do I get them there?

I am the hovering mother.

I feel like a failure if I don't attend everything, make the best family dinners, keep our home lovely so the children are proud...and on and on.

I feel like a failure if I don't TRY my best with them...give it my ALL...ALL the time!

So I realize that all of this means nothing...

if I don't just sit back, give them their space, and let them guide themselves.

Together, Jon and I will get them there.

To be independent in life...

and, of course, they are NEVER too young to be taught...

independence in the kitchen!

Oh, and Laney said that she was just KIDDING about her trip...

She wants her momma to show everyone how I can go down the slide!

(Great, just what everyone will need to see!)