The Kids Are Alright

"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its trouble - it empties today of its strength"

This is a quote that I have tried to live by for the last few years. It has served me well.

There are many reasons to worry in life. None more powerful than the worries we carry for our children, no matter how old they are.

With adult children, we try to let go and allow them to be themselves and live their lives. We are comforted by the fact that we did the best we could in raising them. However, we know that life is not that simple and they will have their own struggles to live through as we did.

We stand in the sidelines basking in their happiness and success yet we are always ready to jump in with our advice and help. We try to let go and allow them to make the choices they need to make in life so that they can take responsibility for their own success and use the bumps along the road as feedback to learn and grow.

So why do we still worry?  It serves no useful purpose other than keeping us awake at night, raising our blood pressure, distracting us and depleting our ability to literally think straight.

This goes back to my post “Snow Day” about the weather. There are situations in life we cannot control. When dealing with our adult children we cannot control their lives as we once did when they were little.

Our ability to calm ourselves, step back, take some time and assess a situation will open us up to the possibilities that are there for us to help. It will also stop us from jumping in before we are welcomed into the situation. It’s a fine line.