The Worry and the Wonder

When I was a very new mother, a close friend sent me a subscription to Brain, Child magazine.  It was the only magazine, she offered, in which she found the full spectrum of emotion and experience of motherhood.  I agree with her.  I was honored when they published a short story by me last year (fiction!  shocking!) and today I’m delighted that they are running an essay of mine on their blog.  I hope you’ll click over and read The Worry and Wonderment of Parenting.

“All of these fears are real.  But I know there is one central, overarching worry.   It is that our relationship will irrevocably fray.  I worry that if that happens we won’t recover the closeness we share now.  I believe fiercely in the importance of my daughter’s blossoming independence, and over and over again I actively foster it.  But in my deepest, most honest mother heart, I worry that I’m not myself strong enough to weather months or years of her desire and need for distance.  My most common and frequent worry – occurring to me several times a day, at least – is that this season of my life is almost over.

But twined through all these worries, there is so much wonder.”

… please visit Brain, Child to read the rest of my essay.  Thank you!