You're right Nancy; while I generally appreaciate Herb he seems to have forgotten I write books since I moved from Btown to live in the Kern River Valley. I still recall his being right on about book signings being lonesome affairs.

Well hell. THAT made me cry. I keep asking "when did my daughter become a real person"!  Now, it seems my grandsons are also on that road. damn.  I am now my mother and I now know how she must have felt - the good feeling that your kid(s) did turn out OK, in spite of what the neighbors thought, and they have/are doing better then you did, which is the way it is supposed to be, that they are now saying to THEIR kids what you said to them!

When DID all that happen?

My kid hasn't tied the knot yet, nor is she engaged to. But she did move out of the house and began her new life in a career she enjoys and her own day to day affairs of budgets, maintianing a vehicle, and showing up to a job on time. She stays busy and If I call her I usually leave a message and wait by the phone. 

While she'll always be my baby girl, when we do get together I find myself relating to a young adult. She is not the bubble brained teen who crammed her worldly belongings into her car.

For all that, her boyfriends are still idiots, her choice of music and reading material is degenerate, her college instructors are a bad influence, and she knows nothing of planting flowers and bushes in a yard (even though they are thriving better than my weeds). 

I don't know which is worse: the anxiety of raising them or the anxiety of letting them go. 

Witters, For all we gain with our children I am often sad at what we lose.  It's becme funny in our family that when the youngest, (ggson, 18 months old) hears my voice, even without seeing me, spins around and looks for me, then rushes to me.  I was thinking last night how precious that is and that, soon, he won't do that anymore.  He'll become a little boy who wants a hug then moves on.  No longer will he crawl up in my lap in the rocker and say "botl?" which is our habit when he stays with me.

I'll miss that more than I can say.  Sure makes a person feel wanted and needed. 

Ah catpaw, THAT is the dilemma.

Each step they take leads them farther toward the door.

What a great post, Nancy ...I see myself getting to that side of life with my son,, thanks

msjenny, thank Herb..he's the one who got the waterworks started this morning.  Imagine me having gone through this cycle with my children, grandchildren and now great grandsons.  And I STILL have those sentimental tears.

If you REALLY want to start the waterworks, here is one of my favorite songs about our kids growing up.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

It was a touching read.