Freedom

In my - noteably - limited experience as a mom, I have noticed that my children have gone through dramatic surges of independence. Sometimes these involve sleeping, eating more or different types of food, using the toilet etc. Emmy has just recently gone through one of these surges. She has learned to ride her scooter well and has the confidence in her ability to zoom up and down the path away from immediate maternal supervision. She's started riding her scooter everywhere that she used to ride on the back of the stroller - to drop Aidan at school, to go to her school and come home, or even just to go on a walk. We went down to the other end of the street 2 nights ago to have dinner with our neighbors. It's not far - 200 yards or so - but no one wanted to walk. Aidan rode his bike and was - of course - already at the neighbor's house before I even left. Emmy rode her scooter and much to my surprise she was halfway down the street as I was coming out of our driveway. She didn't even turn around to see where I was and when I called to her she stopped, turned to look at me and gave me a big grin. She's been craving the freedom that Aidan has but she hasn't had the confidence to go after it. All of a sudden she's gained mobility and the tether that held her close to me for 2 1/2 years has suddenly and brutally been stretched. I know it's part of letting go and that I can't treat her like a baby forever. She has to grow and gain confidence in her abilities to take care of herself. It seems so soon but I suppose it will never feel like the right time...