Adult children
Someone recently told me that we get to parent our children for 19 years. 18 years while they are in the home and in our care and then accumulatively for 1 year the rest of their lives. That resonated LOUDLY!
I love my adult daughters with an indescribable love. They saved my life so many times just by being my daughters. Lyra is 21 and got married this past April. She is so funny, creative and as a little girl walked around in her own world singing and just was great at being. Just being. Jada is one of the most sincere people I have ever known. She makes it a goal to make people's lives brighter. As a small kiddo she would compliment something about every person that we came in contact with. The cashier's necklace, a random passerby's hat, someones smile or laugh; she just brought joy with her everywhere she went. And her stories were GOLDEN! She definitely kept me on my toes.
Lyra moved out and in with her boyfriend when she turned 18.
Jada moved to Kansas City THE DAY she turned 18.
Part of my heart left with both of them.
When Lyra left I started FAMILY NIGHT. So that once a week, I would be able to see her, check in, have dinner and watch a movie, play a game or something. Then Jada left. At first she would call all the time and then that slowly started to wane.
I have had serious conversations with the girls making sure that I haven't done something terrifyingly wrong and both have stated that is simply not the case. One day I realized something:
I raised these beautiful humans to be self sufficient. I raised them to go into the world as beautiful, empathetic woman that would be a light to others and that is what they are doing!
Both of my daughters are successful, beautiful, loving, kind, sweet, encouraging to others, brave, bold, draw boundaries, speak their minds, respectful, love each others and their siblings. I now get to watch them from afar (and hopefully sneak in some hugs once in awhile) live their beautiful lives BOLDLY.
What an honor. What a blessing. I am so thankful for this life and them. I love our traditions and the traditions they are building with their own people now. I hold them so close to my heart while missing my littles. And I am SO PROUD of the women they have become. And DAMN this is hard. <3
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