The simple things sometimes aren't so simple

Hello again.  FYI, the code word is still used from time to time, but who doesn't need to go back to the feelings of vacation in our everyday lives?

After giving Lindsay a shower tonight, many thoughts came to mind. Ever since she was a baby, until now at the age of 25, helping her bathe is just something we do.  From adjusting the water temperature, to making sure she gets enough shampoo on her hair or sometimes to the other spectrum, making sure she doesn't use the entire bottle too!  Shaving her under-arms and her legs, making sure she doesn't get the urge to pick up the razor and do it herself.  Like all of us, she likes to stand in the shower and feel the warm water for long time. We thought Taylor was a long shower taker!  To save time, I will often shower with her and she soon ushers me out when she wants her water hog time.

Tonight, however, it occurred to me that as she is getting older, she wants more and more independence when yet, she needs all the help that we give. Sometimes it isn't so easy to clean her ears, to clip her nails, floss her teeth.  We give in, to avoid the struggle and then when I think of it, that it has been awhile, I feel so bad. How could have I forgot to to do that? She doesn't know to do it herself, some of the daily things we do for ourselves.

I will be honest.  It isn't very often that when it is my shower time, that I don't include Lindsay.  Sometimes it is just easier to, as they say, "kill two birds with one stone".  I realized tonight, she doesn't like the idea of sharing shower time with me either!  Sometimes having a few minutes alone in the shower with the warm water trickling down upon your head is just what someone needs. 

But....it is so hard to let go of the simple little things we need to do for ourselves or others without letting the necessities of every day life come into play.  Do I let her stand for long moments soaking up the water, forget about the forest growing on her legs, and not worry if she uses conditioner instead of shampoo? I do let up on some of those things and then like tonight, after letting things go for awhile, I realize that she depends on me/us to help her with these simple things, even if she doesn't like it. 

So, as in everyday life, we learn to adapt to the situation. Okay then... not tonight.... then tomorrow I will clean your ears, shave your legs, etc but I am realizing that remembering to do those simple little things isn't so simple!