This was a summer of growth for my oldest and me. My oldest, for the first time, was allowed a lot of freedoms. She got into an acting program in the city and spent a lot of time exploring the downtown area on her own. She even rode the subway a few times home by herself. You could imagine the heart palpations I experienced until she stepped off at the other end where I picked her up.
If that wasn't enough, trust me I thought it should be, but no, she had other ideas. She loves the water and decided she wanted to learn how to surf, and found a surf camp. Now of course back in February when she first brought this up my knee jerk response was, 'hell no.' But of course she made good solid arguments. So of course I checked the place out. I made sure no one connected there had a criminal record or had a complaint filed against them and after asking numerous questions, I agreed.
When I picked her up a week later she was tanned, glowing and strong. She'd had the time of her life.
Little by little I'm extending those maternal strings. I will never let them go completely (she will always be my baby), but I am finding that they can be stretched to any length. And I'm okay with that. Sorta.
Next year will be my younger daughter's turn. I am soooo not ready for that.
LaVerne
