The Easy Child

I'm sure that many people look at Kimmie and see the extra work involved. Helping her eat, helping her dress, helping her bath, helping her in and out of the car, helping her up and down stairs . . . And I will admit that, over the years, she has been a lot of work, but as she has gotten older, she has become easier. (Or maybe we are just more accepting of the daily routine.)

Whatever the case may be, Kimmie has become our easy child. She is easy because we just take care of her. It's like taking care of any other preschool child, except she's 17.

But, you see, with the other kids there's so much more to do. They are teenagers, high school and college age. Over the years there's so much to teach them: to be kind, trustworthy, responsible, honest, dependable, competent, capable, independent . . . Then there are the issues of teaching them to drive, hoping they make good choices in friends, encouraging them to stay drug and alcohol free . . . And the list goes on, along with concerns about who are they with, are they driving safely, are they making good choices . . .

Maybe you can see, too, that Kimmie is looking easier and easier.

--Mom