Even when they’re all grown up…

Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for hosting a weekly slice of life challenge. Join in here.

Even when they are taller than you,
even when they’ve gone off to college,
even when they tell you that you don’t know what you’re talking about,
even when they tell you they don’t need your help,
even when you know that they can, and should, and will,
even when you stop reading bedtime stories,
even when they start doing their own laundry,
even when the cookie jar stands empty for long stretches,
even when you finally master the art of saying, “What do you think?” rather than blurting out your own thoughts, opinions and advice…
you’re still a mom.
You’re still on duty.
They still need you.

Last night the text signal on my cell phone dinged at 4 a.m. I happened to be awake. It was my oldest- away at college, on crutches at the moment- texting to tell me that she was dealing with an upset stomach. I won’t go into details. Suffice to say, she sent a photo of herself sitting on the cold tile floor of the hallway bathroom in her dorm. It was too hard for her to crutch back and forth to bed she told me. My heart ached. I wished she was home. I told her to hang in there, to try to sleep when her stomach settled. There was nothing more I could do. I couldn’t get her ginger ale, or a hot water bottle, or a cool washcloth.

Shortly after hearing from her, I got out of bed because I couldn’t fall back asleep and noticed that the light in my younger daughter’s bathroom was on. I went to investigate. There she was- with an upset stomach. Ugh. Really? But -there she was. Home. I could get her ginger ale, dim the light, tuck her in.

Even when they’re all grown up, they still need their mom.