Stage check

At a campus function I overheard some colleagues comparing notes on their young children's developmental milestones: Is he walking yet? Has she learned to eat with a spoon? Is he still afraid of dogs? Does she sit on the potty?

I remember those days when every little sign of progress called for celebration and commemoration and a cry of "How adorable!" from all who witnessed the momentous event, but yesterday I felt a little left out of the conversation. You want to talk about adorable developmental milestones? My daughter called last week and suggested that we go out for sushi tomorrow night. Trust me, there's nothing so adorable as the Taking Mom Out for Sushi stage, unless it's the developmental milestone my son will soon reach: the College Graduation "I Believe I Can Fly" stage. (Calling my son adorable in public would violate every rule of mother/son communication, so pretend you didn't hear that.)

I celebrate with my colleagues whose children are reaching those important milestones, but I'll celebrate even more tomorrow night when I'm enjoying sushi with my daughter. Yes, she knows how to eat with a spoon, but with sushi, chopsticks are more appropriate.