One Thing I'll Miss

Parents of young children know that older folks like to remind them that even their darkest moments of parenthood will be mourned and missed once the children are grown.

Frankly, I don't believe it. Maybe it's true for people who didn't have as many children as they wanted, or didn't spend very much time with their kids. I'm not exactly sure. Maybe some people just don't like to appreciate where they are. I do know that for me, after the intense years I've spent doing time in mothering of youngsters, toddlers, and babies, I doubt I'm going to be regretting much that's over and done with. I've lived in the moment, I've lived as full as I could. I've relished the good and loathed the bad consciously and completely. And when it's done, I'll enjoy what comes next.

The other day I did find one thing, however, that I believe I will miss when the kids are all grown. It's the notes.

The notes. You know the ones--the ones that are scrawled in shaky writing with adorable misspellings and classically childish communications on them.

I love those. They are dear and I will start looking forward to getting them from grandchildren once I don't receive them from my own children any more.

The other day my daughter wanted to earn some money working around the house, so I made her a list of jobs she could do, and amount that I would pay for each job listed next to it. When she was done she gave back the list with the jobs crossed out that she had done, and then the "toetall" which was $5.00. Totally. Cute.