The Child as Adult

This has been a hard few days. D is surly, uncommunicative and rebellious, although he hasn't gone so far as to openly defy us (that we know).

I realized some of my distress and sadness is the realization that my image of D needs to be replaced with the actually of D. He is his own person, not my perception of him.

I think this is the wrenching realization that is part of parenting; when your child is no longer who you see and control, but moves into their own person.