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!