Mommage

The Homestretch

Last week was quiet for me but quite hectic for my son.  Not only did he have midterms, he also had Regents and SAT.  After today's Math Regents, he will finally be in the homestretch.  I remember like it was yesterday the time he got kicked out of preschool, and now he's preparing to graduate high school and go to college.  What a journey!  I never thought I'd see the day, but here we are. 

This past week has forced me to face my feelings about my children growing up, graduating high school, college, moving out and even getting married.  A part of me wants to keep them in my care forever, but I know that would be selfish.  I have always enjoyed fixing their meals, doing their laundry, helping with homework, and everything in between, however, I must confess that the thought of a little less responsibility (and work) might actually be a bit appealing.

Is that wrong?      

Risky Business

I didn't need to read this letter on Planetfeedback to understand that giving your kid a cell phone is risky business.  I know first hand how hard it is to get your child to follow the rules and live within the limits set by the bill-paying parents once that phone is in their hands.  And as we also see from some of the letters, even an otherwise responsible kid can have trouble with self-control when access to a cell phone is so easy and temptation just a ring tone away.

It's not only a problem with teenagers either.  Some adult children seem to have no qualm about feeding off a parent's cell phone account.  And when something goes wrong, some parents have the audacity to blame the company for not being on top of things.

As astonishing as that is, I don't think anything can beat this.

The Grass is Never Greener

Every day when I turn on my computer, I wonder for a moment with a bit of hesitation, what's going on in the world.  I always dread reading about some shocking event, and Friday's announcement was  unimaginable.

John Travolta's 16-year old son, Jett, was dead. 

I sat very still reading the headline over and over in disbelief.  My mind was desperately trying to reject the information in some kind of crazy hope that by doing so it wouldn't be true.  But, of course, some things are true whether you believe them or not.

Jett had a seizure, fell and hit his head, and died.