When did I turn into my mother?

I have turned into my mother.  I'm not sure when or how it happened. I don't know if it was a gradual process or if it happened overnight.  But, without a doubt, it has happened!
When I was younger, not that much younger, I felt like I would always relate to the feelings I had when I was a teenager. I was seriously convinced I would always be able to connect with any and all people younger than me.  I would always be "the cool mom".  As my 20 year old daughter plans to leave for Germany and France for three weeks I am facing the reality that I am far from the cool mom.  My stomach is knotted, my mouth is dry.  It is everything I can do not to grab her and say, " Are you sure you want to do this?  Travel alone to a foreign country?  Sit with strangers on an overnight international flight?"  Maybe she should wait to explore the world when she's 30 or 40.  I instead, bite my tongue, and tell her, "You can't wait!  This is it! You may never have this opportunity again.  Carpe Diem! You're brave, you're talented, you're amazingly confident!  Follow your dreams."  All of this is true of course.  So I sit, anxiously waiting for flights to leave and arrive.  Phone calls to be placed and received.  To hear the excitement in her voice, all the while praying she is safe, she will stay safe.  She will hold on to her purse, won't walk down dark alleys won't be taken advantage of......Yes, it is true, I have turned into my mother.   That's not such a bad thing.
 

Confessions of a middle class mom: Washing Machines

Confessions of a middle class mom: Washing Machines: "Okay, I am on my fourth washing machine in about four years. No, I do not have seventeen children and I'm not running a laundromat out of ..."

Washing Machines

Okay,  I am on my fourth washing machine in about four years.  No, I do not have seventeen children and I'm not running a laundromat out of my home.  I am the mother of three girls and a greasy, sweaty husband.  As frustrating as it is to kill three machines in as many years, they have all been hand me downs or yard sale finds, what's even worse is where my washing machine resides.  My garage is my laundry room.  Yes, the tool filled, overstuffed, smelly garage.  Did I mention I live in Arizona? It's 110 degrees.  If the laundry is not removed immediately from the washer and placed into the dryer it's mildew mayhem!  The latest death of my machine occurred this weekend.  It simply refused to spin.  It gladly filled, agitated, and drained but spin it would not.  Have you ever put sopping wet clothes into a dryer? Don't do it!  I was lucky actually.  My brother having just acquired a new high tech, low water, efficiency machine, was thrilled to donate his 1980 Maytag to our clan.  My husband and I walked our hand truck around the corner to his home, and at dusk wheeled our "new to us"  mustard yellow Maytag home.  It is 11:40 pm and my first load of laundry is done.  We will see how long this one lasts.