Mother's Always Worry

My daughter called me last night to tell me her big news. There has been a lot of big news lately, most of it good. She informed me that she had received the scholarship she applied for to spend her fall term in Vietnam. "Great!" I said, hoping that my nervousness did not leak through my words.

"Are you happy?" she asked. "Of course", I said, "but you know I'll worry, I'm your Mom." My daughter is 22, in her third year of college, and she's engaged to a really great guy. She's an adult, I know mentally, but I just can't completely wrap my heart around that yet.

I was traveling the world when I was 18, by myself, but I never thought about how worried my parents might be. At least my daughter is going with a group of students, there is a curriculum and a professor. She traveled to London two winter's ago on a mini-term and all went well. She traveled to South Africa a year before that with a service program during her winter break, so she is a seasoned traveler. Why do I worry?

Maybe because I grew up during the Vietnam war era, ghost feelings from my childhood. Of course I know how much the country has changed since then. I've had the pleasure of being acquainted with many Vietnamese people here in the states too, quite lovely people. Technically I have no problems with my daughter's travel and education plans. I'm just her mother, there's always that feeling of concern; the knowledge of the dangers in the world that could possibly hurt my child.

I don't know how the mother's of soldier's cope; they must have great faith. I am also a person of faith and I know I can calm my fears with prayer. I generally am not a person who dwells on fear or worries a lot, but I am a mom and that heart of concern for my children will never go away. In my mind I imagine that's how God feels about humanity, always concerned, always wishing they will come home safely.

Blessings to you and yours, please feel free to comment.