How Old is Old Enough?

I am trying to learn how to be the mother of an adult child.

If you call twenty-four an adult.

Now, when I was twenty-four, it was different. I was a mature, wise individual.  Daughter, however; is barely out of braces; if she'd ever worn braces, which she did not.  She has my teeth.

Anyway, it's harder than the terrible twos, the tweens and all the stuff in the middle. I don't know where my boundaries are. And even if I do, I keep crossing them.

Daughter still lives at home, you see. If she was in a far away place, say the east side of town, I could probably be better at this.

Maybe not, though.

I remember when my grandmother was still alive. She was in her eighties and my mother was in her early sixties, and Mother would get furious at how my grandmother questioned her every move.

I remember once, when Daughter was about six months old, I was chatting on the phone to my mother. I mentioned we were putting off going to the grocery store until Friday, since that was pay day.

There was a moment of silence, and then Mother asked, "Does the baby have enough to eat until then?"

I replied, "No, we figure she's old enough now to do without until Friday. It's only a few days away."

I was thirty-six years old, for crying out loud!

And I think I'm going to figure this adult child thing out.

Pardon me while I take a moment to say, "Ha!"