Me do it myself!

Independence seems to be a running theme in our house these days. Our two year old wants to pour her own "milk" on her cereal. Our four year old is wanting tie her own shoes. Our eight year old made his own cinnamon sugar this morning, (or on his first try "sugared cinnamon!) Our six year old packed his own lunch for a "full day" of school today.

Now Chip is usually only a half day kind of guy. He likes come home, fix a can a spaghetti for lunch, do his homework, and bounce off a few walls in the afternoon. Today, there's a field trip to see a puppet show in the afternoon, so he's allowed to stay. His teacher has a sub too, so the "iron lady" is in charge. I hope he'll be okay.

Our oldest is growing up in so many ways it's unbelievable. Sure I still have to remind him about homework and chores, but he is getting more responsible about taking care of his things. He learned all his lines in the Christmas play without our help. He can go to a friends house with permission, and be trusted to get home almost on time.

Then on the other end of the spectrum, there are our older relatives who are starting to give up their independence. My husband's grandfather quit driving a couple years ago. He had to have a housekeeper after that. Then he moved into a retirement community. Now he's just out of the hospital from a severe heart attack, and Hospice is helping with his care. He's still around though! And his mind still works. He has maintained his intellectual independence, and that's no small feat for someone well into their 90's. It takes a lot of strength to keep going when you need that much help.

The thing is, we all need help...and when we don't accept it when we need it it just makes a mess. My husband's grandfather is wise enough to know and accept that. My kids are not. Thus we sometimes have cereal on the floor, cheese crumbled by a dull knife, a broken piggy bank, or hurt feelings. Yet when they come around, one of them holds the dustpan while the other one sweeps. They ask us how to use a sharp knife. We taste the sugar cinnamon and help them add more sugar. Working together makes all of life sweeter.