Friday, August 06, 2004

That was then.This is now!

Rachel Ann was writing about changing her children's blog names (well,numbers really)and I noticed her oldest daughter who is 23 years old is living in the U.S. while the rest of the family is living in Israel.
That gave me a pain in my heart when I read it. What mother wants her 23 year old to be living in another part of the world?

As I was commenting on that, it suddenly struck me.....23! I was 22 when I left the U.S. and went to Israel, by myself , to go on a 3 week trip to live on a kibbutz. After 2 weeks I called home and asked Mom to pack up all my winter clothes. I wasn't coming home any time soon. I stayed one year, came home for 4 months and went back for another year.

I have always wondered how my Mom managed to let me go on this wonderful journey that changed my life in so many ways. Oh, sure I still had some frantic phone calls from her, "DON'T GO TO ANY FRUIT STANDS IN JERUSALEM! A FRUIT STAND WAS JUST BLOWN UP TODAY!" My response was, "Ok, Mom. If you think I am going 4 hours by bus to pick up a few oranges and an apple, you are out of your mind! I am fine. Don't worry!" She is a mom. She always worries but she had the strength to let go. I will pray for that same strength when the time comes.

How old were you when you were "on your own?" How did your parents handle that?

No comments: