Thank You Bonnie Hunt !!

If you've never watched the Bonnie Hunt Show I highly recommend it. I have seen her for years but the most memorable was on the David Letterman Show. David had just had stitches in his finger and it was time for them to be taken out. When Bonnie came out she remarked that she could remove the stitches as she used to be a nurse. She said that it just didn't turn out to be the right profession for her. She commented that one time while she was in training she had to put her first catheter in a male patient. She asked the man to please place a towel over his face while she did it. She said she just couldn't look at both parts at the same time. Her instructor happened to walk by the room as this was going on and did a double take . It was a hilarious story and I have been a big fan of hers back as far as when she was the bitter older sister in Jerry McGuire.

Her new show is a breath of fresh air and a ride down memory lane at the same time. She was just talking one day when it came up that when she was young (having six siblings) her mother told her one day when she was in her early teens : "If you are ever out somewhere with your friends and something doesn't feel comfortable to you or something tells you it isn't the right thing...call me and I will come pick you up ...no questions asked."

Skip to today... my almost fourteen year old daughter asked me if she cleaned her room (RIGHT) could she go to a pool party at her friend's house from chorus? She said that I could phone the girl's mom when I got home from work.

Came home and the room was "BETTER." Her friend called and I told her I needed to speak with her mom. She said she wasn't there and her dad was asleep. Massey baked brownies to take and actually did pretty good on her room (for her).

When I took her , one boy from school was there and the girl who lived there. I got out of the car and asked if her mom was home. She said she was taking a nap.

I just had a feeling. It wasn't suspect or deceit, it was just that MOM feeling. I told Massey that the girl's mom needed to call me when she woke up and I left my home and cell number on a piece of paper for her.

It was a very nice house and I remembered the girl from chorus when I first saw her in her bikini by the pool. I left Massey there and drove home slowly. It is such a weird freak of nature that on the way over to this girl's house...Bonnie Hunt's story came to mind as I drove my daughter to her "POOL - PAR -TAY."

I turned the radio off and told her: "You are getting older and making so many new friends. I want you to know that if you are ever somewhere and you begin to feel uncomfortable or feel like you need to leave a situation...call me and I will pick you up with no questions asked."

My daughter shot me a look (not a mean one) and said that she would never drink or do drugs.

Thank you again Bonnie Hunt . When Bonnie told her story, she found herself and friends in a store when the other girls wanted to shop lift. She felt like she was pressured, she didn't want to snitch...but she knew it wasn't right. She went to a phone booth and called her mom to pick her up, and left the girls in the store.



Her mom never asked, but the daughter always knew. What a relationship!


I told my daughter that it wasn't just drugs or drinking, but that if she ever felt like she was in a situation where she was apprehensive or uncertain...call me. NO QUESTIONS.

I went back home and told my husband. He said she was getting older and we had to trust her to be the daughter we have raised before we jumped to conclusions.
My husband called her but she didn't answer (POOL -PAR-TAY.)

I was sending her a text telling her to have a good time and have the mom call me when the call came through on our land line. It was the girl's mom, apologizing for being asleep. It was all okay and it was a ten pound weight on my heart that seemingly disappeared.

Her husband works the night shift at Delta and she is a "SOFTBALL MOM."

This was the first day that they had had off and her daughter had missed her friends.

"WHEW !!!!"

I hate to be paranoid. I really do. I just want to stay close to my kids and their thoughts. Let them hear my take on what I think our roles are and how we can be a support to each other and become closer as they grow away from me chronologically.

My daughter made me proud. My worries were unnecessary. But the feeling that I can trust my kid and know that I have "Had the TALK" is a powerful feeling and a comfort.

She knows now that if she ever needs me... not to worry about consequences or excuses. I will be there...I will come to your side and ask no questions. All that matters is that you are alright and that you made the right choice.

Am I over cautious or planning a pro active relationship?

She will be picked up in 23 minutes by her father and my crisis will be over. I am sure the next one will be soon.

Once again..."WHEW!!!!"