six wainwright: August 2009

I have girl who's twenty now. When she was a toddler I knit her beautiful sweaters to wear. When she was in elementary school I sewed her dresses and halloween costumes. When she was in middle school I knit her fun hats and mittens. When she started high school I knit her 4 pairs of socks, at her request, which she lost at various friends houses in much less time that it took me to make them. For the next five years she wanted nothing to do with anything made by me. This trend in her waning desire for items made by mom closely paralleled how she felt about time spent with mom. As a mom this was all hard: as a parent trying to raise a happy healthy child I knew that this is how it's supposed to be right? they grow up, they grow away.......blah blah blah....

Last week we were driving back from dropping her car off for service. "Want to go shopping Mom?" she asked. I said I couldn't. Her younger sister needed to be picked up from camp in 2 hours. "We could pick her up early Mom." Now I knew what that was code for: I need you to pick up the tab. So, being in a generous frame of mind, and not wanting to go to the mall on a sunny afternoon I said she could take my card and run her errands. Her reply: " No, that's okay Mom. I wanted to go with you". I almost drove the car into a tree.

You all know what the three of us did that afternoon right?

This same 2o yr old is renting a house off campus this year with several girlfriends. So I made her some pot holders and kitchen towels. A bold move on my part I know. If you don't want rejection don't seek it out right :)

Will she like them? Maybe.... Will she use them? Probably.... broke college students don't have a lot of options.