I reached for the box of Frosted Mini-Wheats and gave it a shake. Ugh, it was empty. Peering inside, I found only three lonely pieces surrounded by a sea of crumbs. Not one to waste food, I poured them into a bowl and finished them off.
Next, I grabbed the box of Honey Graham Oh’s and shook it, only to discover it too was empty. I pulled out the bag and held it up—more than a handful remained, so I poured them into my bowl and added a splash of milk. As I crunched away, I noticed the box of Total Raisin Bran, standing there all alone. I didn’t even need to shake that box to know what I’d find next.
Fifteen bran flakes and four raisins later, I was both satisfied and a little teary. My foray into fiber, sweetness, and crunch served as a poignant reminder that my days of finishing off the cereal are numbered. In just a year, the house will be quiet, and the cereal boxes will be full again. Maybe it’s time to switch to eggs.
This habit of finishing what they start is something that begins in infancy, a responsibility mothers take on without a second thought. We eat the crusts of their grilled cheese sandwiches, savor the last spoonful of melting ice cream, and finish the pieces of steak they’ve just learned to cut. We clean up the last of their toys before nap time, read the final pages of their storybooks, and tackle the last few math problems of homework to ensure they can get to bed on time. Even now, as I encourage my son to learn to do his own laundry before heading off to college, I find myself pulling his clothes from the dryer and folding them for him. I am finishing the task he started.
It’s a sacred rhythm—the child begins, and the mother completes. The intricate layers of beginnings and endings have woven together so seamlessly that I hardly recognize where his initiation ends and my conclusion begins.
But I am acutely aware of this transition. The chapter that began 18 years ago is drawing to a close. However, I still have this last year, and I intend to savor it, chewing on this cereal and cherishing each moment filled with laughter, sweetness, and crunch. This final year is significant. The dynamic will shift after this, and I am not particularly eager to learn the new steps that await.
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In summary, I find myself in a bittersweet moment of reflection as I complete the tasks my children initiate, holding onto the memories we’ve created together while bracing for the changes to come.