Birthdays

Yesterday was my son's birthday. Nothing makes you feel older than your baby getting older.

Maybe it was because he was always reckless and self-destructive, but I felt he stayed my "child" longer. He needed me and it was nice to be needed. So it comes as a surprise to learn that he 28.

When my kids were little, my daughter grew out of laps and hand-holding early. She wanted to be a little person beside you - not a child attached to you. Which was good because her brother was a baby by that time and I couldn't handle two babies. But when my son came along and was perfectly willing to crawl on my lap, I treasured it as long as I could. I knew there would be no more children for me.

It's funny how sometimes your children seem to be what you need them to be. But - I still pushed my son to be stronger and more confident, and I forced my daughter onto my lap occasionally. And it hasn't seemed to scar them for life.