In Training

This past week I made an incredibly spicy gumbo with chicken thighs and okra, which was followed by a visit to an Italian restaurant the following night. I chopped, simmered and pureed my way into pots of Potato, Carrot and Cheddar, and then Split Pea Minus-The-Ham soups. I discovered that dinner with three smooth side dishes (Pureed Roasted Cauliflower,  Sweet Potatoes Whipped with Butter and Maple Syrup, and Russet Potatoes Mashed with Sour cream) is actually kind of fun for the palate.

I baked loaves of Banana Bread with no nuts and a 9x13 dish of Pumpkin Custard. Stocked the refrigerator with tubs of store bought pudding and the freezer with boxes of popsicles. At some point I became concerned about the sugar intake of our household but attempted to make myself feel better by taking into account the amount of fiber served. (I so want to believe this makes a difference.....)

A few intentionally spicy meals with lots of texture and then a weeks worth of ones that slid down easily. Cooking this week has been a fun and interesting challenge.

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I sat in the waiting room of the hospital and the waiting room of the doctors office. In the curtained off pre-op and the post-op rooms. I tried to ask helpful questions, but not too many. I made conscious choices about where to physically place myself in the above spaces and thought a lot about what it means to be the parent of a child in their mid-twenties versus one in their teens or younger. I played Words With Friends, watched a few movies and sat in on occasional episodes of Mad Men during the apparent viewing marathon that played around here.

I tried hard to find the line between helping out too much and too little. Between giving unnecessary advice and not enough. Between stepping in and stepping back. There was a lot of ruminating on my part regarding what used to be, what is now and what will be. I continued to return to my current theme of  "Have I (We) Taught Them Everything They Need To Know In Order To Get Along In This Great Big World?" I still evaluate, re-evaluate and try to make sure.

One of the boys had his tonsils out last week. Believe it or not, I may be repeating and adjusting to certain elements of the above scenario in just a few days with a different son.

During the waiting, the chopping, cooking, stirring and pureeing, I've had some time and inclination to think. There is nothing quite like squarely facing the adulthood of your offspring that nudges you to consider your own.

I am......as they are......still in training.

Wishing you a warm and wonderful weekend, where ever you may be!

Margaret