everything personal

However much I may want to be able to do everything for my bambini, the simple truth is I can't -- and I shouldn't.  I'm here to (alongside providing a faith formation) facilitate their learning to do things for and take care of themselves.  They may not want to do things for themselves, and I'm not one to push independence upon them, but when they demonstrate they *can* do some life-necessary skill, they *should* from then on. 

All the same, there is no one more personally invested in the success of my children than I am (along with my beloved).  Nearly every waking minute of my day is spent caring for them, and my devotion is unwavering.  They know I love them and want them to succeed and will do everything I can do help them in that endeavor.

So how is it that when it comes to certain milestones in every young child's life, Mama is the last person able to help?  Certain abilities that come with time, practice, patience, and self-confidence are somehow more easily acquired with the help of certain trusted persons other than Mama.  I suppose it's a kind of testament to the confidence these bambini have in my love for them at a level much deeper than anyone else. 

I can't help but think of the love our heavenly Father has for each of us, and wonder how many times each of us, no matter our age, displays this kind of behavior. 

Even as I try not take personally those emotional outbursts that invariably eminate from bambini working (more or less) toward a goal and instead try to help them navigate through the strong feelings to a peaceful resolution, there is everything personal about the march of time, its accompanying if incremental acquisition of independence that is the whole business of growing up, and my role in that process...