Changing roles

Oh, how they grow!

I was thinking today how our role as mother changes as our kids grow and change.  When our kids are little, we love them and take care of all their needs, make and enforce the rules and are the main authority figure in their lives.  We protect them and keep them safe from harm.  As they get older, gradually our role changes as they learn to take care of a growing number of their own needs, internalize the rules and interact with other authority figures.  We start to realize that we cannot protect them from everything as they venture out into the world but we trust that our teachings while they were little will be remembered and they will be smart.  They still need us but in different ways.  They need us to be consistent and fair.  They need us to give them advice (although they might not admit it!).  They need to know that we will always be there for them and that we will always love them unconditionally.

I can't think of a more fulfilling career than that of mother.