Sad, but True

It is sad, but true that we – as parents – have a contradictory role in our children’s lives.

  • We care for them. We cuddle them. We hold them. We ooh and aah over them.
  • We dress them, feed them and clean them up.
  • We pick them up when they cry, laugh as they laugh and cheer for them as they find success.
  • We mentor them as we raise them, to become capable, educated adults who can live on their own.
  • We fall in love with them as they go from needing us every single moment of their lives to the point were they annoy us; sometimes, and yet, we still love them dearly.

In near or about 18 years, they go from being completely dependent upon us to being able to go off on their own – to college – or to work – or, maybe to stay home and help us enjoy our lives for a little bit longer.

Having them leave was one of the primary goals of having children, right?

If you say yes… then, why are we so happy yet sad at the same exact time?

Why did we do it if we just want them to stay with us?

This is the work we chose to do knowing that someday – ideally – we would put ourselves out of the job, while – if we are lucky, we will be able to maintain some level of mentor-ship or maybe even sit on the board of advisors.

It is sad, but true that while we want them to go off on their own and find success and their own life – yet we will probably (will) cry when they go. I am not sure how all of this will go down in the next few months, but I am sure that my husband and I will make it through the rest of the spring and summer.  We will be there to cheer her on as she takes the next step into her new chapter of life; one of many in which we hope she finds success including college, a career, partnership and relationships that make her happy.  Let’s just see how it goes, okay… just like we have been for the last 17 years. Okay.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl

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