There’s a moment when you have children when suddenly they are grown. Now they may have been adults for quite a while. They may have kids and jobs and cars. But with all that, they were not quite adults.

It happened this week with my youngest. She borrowed my car for some mechanical work. Arranged the car swap, paid the bill, put my car back in the garage, plugged it back in, put my key on my kitchen table, and later said Thank You.

I felt proud and I felt sad. I realized that like High Queen Susan, who I must say was greatly wronged by C. S. Lewis, she was no longer welcome in Narnia. The time had come to put away childish things, and she had. She’s a woman and a mother. I’m so proud of her but still a little sad at childhood’s end.

© by Daniel DeMarle 7/23/22