Mothering

As Norah has matured, she has started “mothering” her siblings. I’m allowing this within limits, because I am trying to honor her nature. She loves. She wants to protect and nurture. And she’s usually not wrong. It IS Avril’s turn to do dishes, or Adele does need to brush her teeth, or we all do need to careful because of the ice, etc. Today, she picked up my glasses and handed them me. “I really wish you’d wear these… *then she ventured into lecturing me* I’d usually remind her how old she is and/ or who is in authority here. But as it was happening, my imagination totally fast forwarded me forty years into the future to when I’m in my eighties and I don’t want to put those drops into my eyes because they sting, etc. Instead, I hugged her. I said, “Thank you for caring about me so much.” (But I still didn’t put the glasses on.)