Recently my daughter brought home a card from school for Mother’s Day. 

In it were quotes about what a mother does.  I had to smile, they included things like “Feeding and changing the baby” or “Playing games with me.” 

My favorite quote, of course, was “Giving lots of hugs and kisses!”

But the job I don’t think anyone understands, until they become a mother, is to worry.  My day is an endless cycle of big and little concerns.  

Are my children eating enough?  Too much?  Are they sleeping enough or not?  Are they doing well in school?  Are they making friends?  Are they being negatively influenced by friends?

I am sure that I worry too much as I know worry only increases as they get older.  As children gain independence, we, as parents, control less of their environment.  I can only imagine how worried the parent of a teenager must be.

Even as our children become adults, life can take unexpected turns.  We recently lost an extended family member in a lab accident at college.

I cried for the loss of a promising life, the pain her parents and sibling were feeling and, as I looked at my daughters, the uncertainty of what might lie in their future.

I can’t control what will happen, so I am left with only two things to do, fix what I can and worry.