"You spend years keeping these people safe and conveying to them your unconditional love and then you just send them off into the world, hope they make it and will remember to call."

You said it sister! It is hard to let go...trust me on this one. I recently asked my 85 year old father-in-law if I'll ever quit worrying about the kids. His answer? No. Just no.

Akkkkk! Somedays are easier than others, I promise.

You forgot to add helmets. ;-)

the day they are conceived we fall in love with them. Bandage their scrapped knees, wipe their noses then in the blink of an eye they are going off to college. Until our dying breath we pray that they are safe, happy and loved it is a never ending joy.

Yes, squillo! Helmets too. Racing helmets, maybe? This deserves some thought. I don't think the bubblewrap would be sufficient to protect from severe head trauma.

The title alone got me...nice job!

Hmmm....I have a different perspective I suppose. I think that some parents can be too overprotective. Everyone loves their children, but I think letting them fall down and scrape their knees builds character. I remember doing some crazy things as a kid....I was the consummate tomboy and I got hurt....a lot. But it didn't harm me long-term....instead, I think it prepared me for the many bumps and bruises that REAL LIFE had in store for me in my later years.

To use your (tongue in cheek) bubblewrap analogy, in effect, they are bound to the point where they have no room to move freely. They are not able to make mistakes, errors in judgment, good choices or bad. Now, all of that being said, I realize that we live in dangerous times and I'm not suggesting that we allow kids to run amuck.

I think that as parents, we have to adopt a happy medium between allowing kids to be kids and being their loving guardians. Just my 1/2 cents......;-D

I so totally relate. Please read my blog called "Living with Narcissus". I'm just 12 years into your future; parenting is heartbreaking, there is no other word for it. Thanks.

Oh, dear. Just wait. Keeping them safe now is the easy part. I hate to have to tell you that. Wait until they become teenagers and you lie awake at night waiting for them to come home and are sure that every police siren is.......

So, so true, and letting them take their lumps gets harder rather than easier, but you'll grow more experienced at it too. You know you're a real parent when you realize how scary your own childhood mistakes really were. ;)

yeah, I hear you. Some days I'm glad mine are still all in the ovaries, snug and tight.

". . . so painfully unfair"

So's fatherhood, kid. I've said before on one of these posts, the central fact of being a parent is that you give away your heart to the universe knowing that you may never get it back again unbroken. And that's cool.

They're not our lives to live, we can only hold our breath and love them

& just wait until they aren't little on anymore, but aren't quite "big", when you wish you could bubble-wrap their hearts to keep them from getting broken, too

I'm on the verge of those years and can very much relate to this

I think back over my childhood, teenage and college years and think of all of the stupid, stupid, stupid things I did- and I was a good kid! So many times I have prayed "Oh God, Please help my children to make wiser decisions than I did!"

feel free to send some padding when you find some that works

cheers,
Lisa

It's funny - I would do that. But my best friends have an almost-4-year-old, and they let him run around with pruning shears, pruning saws, snippers, and other implements-of-imminent-child-hurt while he runs around on their farm (just like I did), buck-nekkid and 'pruning' things (OK, it was really not good when he pruned the lacy leafs off at the ground...) He does fine...

hollycomesalive, Thank you for this beautiful post.
"Oh God, Please help my children to make wiser decisions than I did." - I have prayed this so many times and I still do for my girls. "Motherhood is painfully unfair."- The hardest thing I ever had to learn to do in life was to let go and let them live their lives. I think I still haven't completely let go and they 23 and 24 now.
Wonderfully written I loved it..

holly,

Your parenting/love are all the bubblewrap they'll need. "The little pieces of my soul walking the earth need some padding. " Life is hard and we do "stupid things." We've all got to hit our own potholes. Enjoy everyday with them, and the future will work out. Great post on your total love for those beautiful children!