While we try to teach our kids about life, Our kids teach us what life is all about

               What do you worry about the most when it comes to your kids? What do you lose sleep over? It could range from happiness to health to what kind of mood will they be in when we wake up in the morning!  That would be my worry with Sadie (14) right now!  Speak of the devil, just came down saying "I lost my remote and I can't turn off my TV."  I went to look, couldn't find the remote or anywhere on the TV to turn it off!  It's a smart TV, it should know how to turn itself off!!  Ok, back on track...The worries change as the years go by. When they are little you are always right there to give a hug and a kiss when something, anything is not right.  Regardless of the reason, that seems to work.  When your kids go off to college you then become a phone call away, easy, right?  Well, what if all of a sudden it's a little harder than just a phone call away.  Last fall my daughter Dani and her husband Joe moved to Bahrain (An Island off off Saudi Arabia) to teach for a year.  I had gone from talking to her everyday to counting the day until I could talk to her again.  I wanted to be there for her every emotion just as I always had been.  I sent Dani off with letters to get her through good times she wanted to share and bad times she wanted to cry about.  They were called "Open When" letters.  Each letter had a quote and a bit of mom advice for any situation.  With Jake being gone at Air Force Basic Training right now I'm feeling a little helpless.  I didn't write him the "Open When" letters because, well, he's a guy! I send him the Minnesota Wild Box Scores!  But I still worry and cry every day!  My most recent worry for him was when I stripped his bed to wash his bedding.  I came to realize that he was sleeping with 9 (YES 9) pillows.  Guess what, I started to cry! He was only going to have 1 pillow at basic training and that broke my heart.  Yes, a little overboard but mom's, you know what I'm saying!  I know,  as my husband would say "A little bit of discomfort!"  This has been his mantra to our kids for years!  And in many ways it would toughen them up.  Still. it will always be a mom's job to worry about every aspect of their childs life, even if it is as trivial as pillows!!   It turns out our kids comfort really is just as important as their emotions and their health!

The "Open When" Letters

Have an amazing day!!
 I unfortunately am going to a funeral today so I have a feeling my next post might be about MY mom!