Oh boy Kate, I'll tell you,...it's tough to be a parent. I see alot of similarities here with my brother and his kids. His oldest son was always rebellious and got in a lot of trouble. My brother sent his boys to excellent schools, travelled to Europe many times, financed music lessons, scuba diving, even flying. The end result is more than disappointing. One of them has been caught dealing drugs ( several times), and has no goal whatsoever. He will probably quit college this year. And his other son doesn't even want to finish high school. To top it off, both are fresh, arrogant and full of animosity towards their father. My brother suffers terribly because of this. He has given his all; not only his love, but he has invested every free moment for his children.

Yesterday Hubby and I went to our granddaughter's b-party (3 years old). My DIL held it at McDonald's. They invited 12 little kindergarden friends. It was interesting how different these little people were from one another. So many of them were serious little children. Not even I could make them smile. But there was one little boy, that constantly searched eye contact with me, and smiled warmly every time I looked at him. And then there was a bully, who tried to boss the others around. The parents were all there too. It was an international group, and all seemed loving caring parents who were laughing and having lively conversations with one another. But their children were as different as an assortment of chocolates in a box.

So dear Kate, all you can do is your best. Then lay your hands in your lap and breathe deeply through, and think;

….my life isn't just about my children. My life is about me: my own dreams and hopes, and my own inner peace within life itself.

Some things are just beyond our control. I believe most character traits that our children have are in their genes. If you just love and guide them, then you have fulfilled your mother obligations. What they accept and put to use is solely up to them.