Sunday, March 4, 2007

WORRY....DOES IT EVER END?

The thing about worry....when does it end?

You give birth to children.

You care for them 24/7 when their very existence depends on you.

You teach them to talk and walk and worry about if their speech development is normal for their age.

You send them off to their first day of pre-school or kindergarten and worry about how they will manage without you there. You worry after the kindergarten teacher tells you your child doesn't focus and talks too much.

They enter middle school and you worry that they will start being pressured by peers to follow the crowd instead of standing up for the values they have been taught. At parent-teacher conference, you are told your child is missing too many assignments.

Junior High presents a whole new set of worries. Will they begin to really notice and like the opposite sex and how will they handle the responsibilities that come with that. And once again, the teacher tells you your child talks too much, is too social.

High School....you now worry when they are out past curfew; or they are out and the weather takes a turn for the worse and they are driving a car, or riding with someone who hasn't a lot of experience. Sitting up waiting for the sound of a siren in the distance and wondering if they are okay. Sighing in relief when you hear the sound of a car door in the driveway. Will they have the knowledge and skills they need when they graduate to go forward in life and be successful? Will college be a big party for them or will they actually buckle down and get that degree you are paying for?

How about when they get married? Will you stop worrying then? Or will you wonder if they have made the right choice? And if they have enough money to pay their bills and if they are ready to have children. And when the grandchildren come along.....will you stop worrying then? Or will it just begin all over again as the grandchildren move through the same stages that caused you worry with your own kids?

When does it end....or doesn't it?

Maybe it ends when you decide to go away for a weekend and forget to mention it to the kids.....and when you come back, there are 24 messages on your machine from the kids asking if you are okay. And then when they finally catch you on the phone and ask you "Where have you been. I've been so worried about you?" Is that when it ends or has it just come full circle and now it's their turn to worry?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gosh that's a good point Martie. I don't have children so I'm not certain about when the worry ends. I sometimes worry about my grandparents . My mom doesn't share her problems so I don't know enough to worry. I guess I could worry over not knowing.

When I was in school, my report card always mentioned that I didn't talk enough. LOL I can remember my mom telling me that my teacher said I needed to ask more questions.

Hugs!

Lori said...

This is so, so true. It never ends, on either side. I've always said, "If you don't ever want to worry don't have children."

But then, they are so worth it!

Cheryl said...

Ha! I do that to my parents all the time.