I was always one of those little girls who wanted to grow up to be a mom. I had no greater aspirations than that, and I still believe that it is the most important job anyone can do - raising the next generation.

I have had the privilege of giving birth to 5 beautiful, intelligent, healthy human beings. My husband and I did everything that we could to shelter them, nurture them, and protect them while they were little, and to give them the tools they would need as they grew older.

Our oldest is now a college graduate, just starting out on her own adventure of life - working on the next Great American Novel, looking for a meaningful job, and searching for the perfect life-mate. Our middle daughter, married almost a year now, has moved 6,000 miles away with her Air-Force hubby. Our youngest daughter is in her Junior year of college, studying to be a psychologist. Our son is 13, and about  to enter the 8th grade. The gap between our youngest daughter and our son represents the daughter we will get to raise, the rest of the way, in heaven.

When your life is geared towards being a mom... when that's your focus... all you ever wanted to be... when they grow up, start moving on with their own lives, what do you do then? Apart from the whole "Empty Nest Syndrome", and "What do I want to be when I grow up?" question, there is the question of: How do I Mother, NOW?

The girls no longer need me to hover, shelter, and protect them. They don't need my judgement, criticism, or correction. So what do they need from me now? Do they still need us, at this stage of their development? How much is too much? And how much is too little? These are all questions that I hope to address with this blog, as well as many more that I'm sure will arise as each day goes by.