A midterm report. On worry.
Mid afternoon.
About time for another cup of coffee for me.
A little pick-me-up so I can continue to navigate the rest of my day and keep productivity ahead of Cinderella’s pace.
Cinderella.
Our Russian Tortoise.
Joining in with Rory @Time out for Mom and Coffee chat. Our discussion this week looks at life now that the kids have returned to school: How ya doing mom? All systems go? Can open, worms everywhere? Tell me about it.
Well, our eldest has been away at college for about two months now.
Seems like something new is always cropping up for me to worry about.
As I told a young mom sitting next to me on the plane back to Atlanta Sunday, “You think when they get to 20 — they’re adults, you won’t worry. Guess what. You worry more.”
This usually happens to me in the middle of the night.
What is it about darkness that conjures up every demon of “worst possible case scenario”?
I now pull up the book on “how to stopping worrying” on my phone when I wake up. It’s me and the little light of my iPhone reading how futile worry is.
And how if I want to stop worrying — I can.
A few logical exercises usually helps set my brain at rest and I fall back to sleep.
Guess with my children are back at school, I’ve returned myself.
Reprogramming years of living each day with untold energy drained away by the worry hypodermic needle.
Maybe I don’t need that cup of coffee after all?
What about you? How’s the routine of school settling in?
I definitely pre-worry about the teen and college years. Mainly because I know the trouble I got up to – and if the apple never falls from the tree: God Save Me!!
Hopefully they will take after their more level-headed father.
But for now, I seemed to have finally settled into not worrying over-much stage of motherhood. I feel more confident this year than any other year. But I know when my youngest goes to school next year; that will be another transition. My final baby heading out into the world – and away from me.
I definitely need another coffee.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts today.
Worry is a parent’s middle name. My mother says “You worry about your kids from the day they’re born until the day you die”. My question is “When do we stop rescuing them?”. My daughter got caught in a traffic jam when the subway stopped working. Who did she call? Mom. Can you drive me to work because the buses are full and I am running late? So I got dressed and found her on a street corner and took her to work.
Wow Judy. “When do we stop rescuing them?”. Isn’t that the truth. That’s something I’ve always been aware of — because I felt my father did too much for me growing up. But now as a parent, that’s where my fretting comes in. What will happen if I don’t make sure they did what they are supposed to do? What if I don’t remind them. Today I deleted part of a text to my son. I wasn’t going to remind him of something again. (though it killed me.)
Glad you are feeling more confident on the parenting front Rory. I have my good days and not so good ones.
I always thought it would get easier as my kids grew up. Nope. The teen years and young adult years are infinitely harder in my opinion. At least when they were little, you knew what to do!
What I rely on more than anything else is that God loves them even more than I do, and He can bring good out of anything …
So true Jerralea. This is an area that has forced me to stop thoughts and start trusting God. Exactly for the reason you stated.
Worry has honestly been replaced by the hectic rush of the Fall Schedule. I’m sure there Worry will rear it’s ugly head soon, though! And I’ll be heading right for that book – what a great recommendation. Loved the visual of you reading your tiny iphone in the middle of the night. Can. So. Relate!