Reading 'The Giving Tree' opened my eyes

When I first read The Giving Tree, I cried. I was a new mother and never realized how hard it was to love and nurture your child(ren) and supply everything they need and then watch as they need/want less and move on. As my children have grown, I find that it's not as sad or hard as the book made me feel at the time, but there are moments in time when I do feel un-needed. The combination of pride (that they are competent and independent) and sadness (that I am less critical) is a challenge for me.