The funny thing about parenting for me has been the necessity of being on the premises most of the time. I chose to stay home with my kids out of desire and default. (Okay, I also didn't know how to keep my business going in Manhattan and have three kids 5 and under.) When you man the oars yourself as a parent, drop everything when they are sick, try to attend to their more pressing needs- all the meals, maintenance and tasks that small humans require to keep moving forward, it's a certain commitment that you make. I was prepared for the kids (I think) but not really the laundry, the dental check-ups, the homework management and 24/7 personal counsel that parenting seems to require. Or maybe not. I'm sure I have all kinds of dumb notions about parenting that will send my children to therapy for years when they become adults. I am not ill-intentioned. They have owned up to that. I am interested in their well being and our community and the world. So, that's another legacy too. I'm hoping to promote their ability to care about something beyond themselves because someone has cared about them.
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