“Sweetheart, I’m not upset with you. Not even a little.”
She looked relieved.
“Sometimes grown-ups need to work through disagreements,” I continued. “But that’s not your responsibility.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She smiled.
“Can I call you next Wednesday?”
“Of course.”
“Every Wednesday?”
I laughed.
“Every Wednesday, sweetheart.”
After we hung up, I sat quietly for a long time.
That call reminded me why setting boundaries mattered.
I wanted Maya to grow up understanding that loving someone didn’t mean allowing yourself to be treated poorly.
And that disagreements between adults didn’t have to destroy family relationships.
One afternoon, my longtime friend Cecilia came over for dinner.
I made shepherd’s pie.
Over dessert, I told her everything.
The ham.
The five plates.
The refrigerator.
The seat belt.
The phone plan.
The locks.
When I finished, she stared at me.
“Dorothy, you actually buckled the ham into the passenger seat?”
