Leveraging Learning

My youngest son turned 18 last week, so I am officially the mom of adults. This is a weird transition for me. As a classic nurturer, I like to make dinner for the people, sew on the buttons, mend the injuries both physical and emotional and, most especially, put a blanket on the sleeping. This last habit is a particularly annoying one, as I have been known to put blankets on most sleepers I encounter - my kids, people staying at the beach house and even the student who falls asleep in my classroom (for which a jacket functions very much like a blanket). Last month, I was staying at my mom's house and immediately before bed, my nephew said, "Hey, Aunt Nan, it really isn't cold tonight, so I won't be needing the extra blanket." To me, the blanket is a metaphor for all the nurturing things out there: love, comfort, support, empathy, compassion, sustenance, forgiveness, encouragement and hope. When I put it on a person, these are the things I imagine placing upon ...