Mothering

I tell you. I never meant to write a Mother's Day piece, but I have to write about what I just read in the Washington Post's Book section. 

A new book is coming out that I must read, Ayelet Waldman's Bad Mother. 

One of the strangest things about being a mother, for me, is discovering that my mistakes, which I learn from, are not as detrimental to my children as I had supposed. I seem not to be able to make any progress without making mistakes. Meanwhile, I try to set an example for my kids, to show them how to do things, to show them how to live a good life, and I make mistakes doing these things. It's funny. Maybe the finest thing I do for my girls is to show them how to make mistakes, and to learn from them. At least, I hope that is what is happening.

All this is on spec, of course. I won't know how well they turn out until my children grow up.