Graduation

Graduation day is tough for adults. They go to the ceremony as parents. They come home as contemporaries. After twenty-two years of child-rearing, they are unemployed. -- Erma Bombeck.

That Erma.

Even though my "job" as a parenting role model has gone the way of the dinosaur ( extinct, but still remembered)since my daughter's college gradution, I don't feel as if I am unemployed.

Yet.

I still feel I can play a relevant role in her life. Case in point: she is coming home for her birthday and texted me that she is bringing her laundry with her. Is anyone really wondering who is going to be doing that laundry? She also is looking forward to a "good home cooked meal", or, if I am too tired from work, she adds, "we can go out." Anyone want to take bets on WHO will be cooking and/or paying for that meal, hmmm? Anyone?

So even though she is now off forging a life of her own, making her own place in society, creating her own niche in the world, she still needs me for the basic stuff like clean clothes and food. I feel like I am fulfilling Maslow's heirarchy of needs pyramid very adequately.

Let'e see: I've fulfilled the Physiological needs: food and sleep; safety needs of a place to stay; Love and belonging needs - that goes without saying! I'm just missing the self esteem and self actualization parts of the pyramid. Oh, well, I guess I do have a job to do there.

I'm so thankful to still be employed. Sorry, Erma.