Shifting Roles

Lest there be any doubt that we have entered a new era with our children, the point was demonstrated in our weekend visit to our daughter who is at summer school in another state. She picked us up from the airport, was there at the right time, in the right place. She knew the way back to her town without her Daddy’s input. When we arrived at her apartment, she’d put fresh sheets on the bed, washed all her towels. In spite of her busy schedule, she’d picked up milk and cereal for breakfast.

The next morning, she got up, ironed her uniform and left for class. (A culinary class where they run a “restaurant.” We’d been earlier in the summer on the day she helped pick the menu and run the kitchen. We were back this time for her day as Maitre D’.)  After our lunch at the bistro, we went back to her apartment (after we’d made a Walmart run and restocked some things we noticed she needed) and amused ourselves until she finished her work. That evening, we all went to dinner (my parents had come as well, though they were staying in a hotel), then our daughter made sure we had all we needed before she left for her midnight to 8am weekend job.

It was strange to be the “guest” of our child, but it was very satisfying to watch her handle her life so efficiently and responsibly. And while I know there will still be many, many times when she comes “home” and we revert back to our old roles of parent and child, this weekend proved a definite shift into the era of dealing with each other as adults.