I feel those deep talks. This made me smile all the way through - change the details and my story is the same.

Kid was an only til he was 5 when his sister was born with serious intellectual and physical challenges. For the first year at the hospital, Dad dropped him off with money in his pocket once a week so he could take me on a date in the cafeteria. The start of _making_ time for each other.

When he was eighteen, having weathered sister’s recovery and the adoption of three more siblings, finished highschool and landed a football scholarship, Dad died.

A year later, desperate to glue my family back together, I bought an RV and packed us all in, one month, 13,000km, drove to Yukon and back.

Everyone came. But it was really a trip for him and I to reconnect. Deeply. As the only two drivers, we spent that month in the cockpit together. Setting the stage for our adult relationship.

Worth every penny.

He’s a 28 year old firefighter now. And probably my best friend. And I his. I stopped having to be Mom a long time ago.

There’s so much gratitude for the relationship I enjoy with this adult son. But it wasn’t free and it wasn’t easy. It takes commitment and dedication. Sacrifice and attention.

Your story has me smiling this fine Sunday morning. Reminding me vividly of how very lucky I am. Thank you for that!

And kudos Mom. You nailed it.