Sign Posts

MY friend Stuart called yesterday, and we caught up. I'm thrilled for him, since he just settled two major cases. I'm even more thrilled that they're cases I referred to him, so my firm will share in fees!

More importantly, he told me his son just celebrated his 7th birthday. He also has a 5 year old. Stuart is a year older than I am.

I started wondering what it would be like to have little kids at this age. I stopped wondering --I'm thankful I don't. It seems to me that parenting small ones is best left to those in their 20s and 30s. I rather enjoy days around my house not worrying about fingers in electrical sockets and toddlers in swimming pools.

Then again, as Wifey observes: little kids; little problems; big kids; big problems.

The way I figure it, I'm resting and saving up my energy for grandkids. We'll re-baby proof our house when that happens, because I already plan on essentially having my girls give birth, and then taking the babies to raise for awhile. I hope my Ds and their husbands agree with this arrangement. (I'll give them back when they have tantrums --the babies, not my daughters).

On another note, I just read a terrific quote from an old Long Island friend on FaceBook: "It takes a family to raise a mother." I'm assuming he's dealing with his mother's decline, as Wifey and I are doing here. As someone noted --"It's no fun."

Speaking of which, Very Old Mom called over the weekend, happy, and wondering why I didn't tell her about the "new" photo of her great granddaughters that I fetched from her mail and placed on her coffee table. I didn't, I told her.

The only package that came was a book that Wifey had ordered for her, which I opened and left for her. She had forgotten a photo she received last Summer --the last time she heard from or saw her great granddaughters, and assumed it had recently arrived.

She wasn't at all sad or upset when I pointed out the mistake --she truly savored the "newly discovered" photo. It was like a little girl finding an old doll in her closet. I just hope Mom keeps that positive attitude as the seas become even stormier.

Meanwhile, MY little girl turns 21 this Friday. I remember when she turned 7. It sure doesn't seem like that long ago...