For the most part, I believe it should be about what they want.

• How do they want to celebrate their day.
• How they want to live their life.
• How they want to learn.
• How do they want to prepare for the things they need to do.
• How do they want to cook the dinner they offered to make you.
• How do they want to be treated.
• How they do want to take a nap in the middle of the day (well, maybe I am on the fence about this one, is it a baby? a teen? or an aging parent or grand-parent?)

As our children age, those of us who are sandwiched in between, also have our parents who also age, too much, too quickly.  It is getting to the point where we want so many things for them – for both of those family members who need help in their lives.

• We want them to be healthy; but they may not be.
• We want them to be happy; but they may be sad.
• We want them to be where they want to be; but they may not be able to be there.
• We want them to be able to do what they always could do; but we are surprised to see that they need more help than we remember needing from them.

After a long week of holidays and milestones; a long month of activities (it is only just about half-way through); and more than a year of seeing life from a whole new perspective – the good things out weigh the bad, and the happy – more often than not – out weigh the sad.

Sometimes, it can’t be what they want, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to give it to them – and believe it or not, ice cream every day is not the worst thing in the world.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl