One of my sisters celebrated a birthday last week, and it reminded me of the very day she was born. I was ten and a half.
I was eager and full of energy in general.
When Grandma Joy told me that Mom was in the early stages of labor, I promptly set to work to make a couple of apple pies. It would be the perfect thing to eat after the baby was born, when we were celebrating! reasoned my young self.
I didn't consider that my Mom may not have appreciated this since she was having a home birth.
I could watch my 8 year old brother (not that he needed watching) and my two year old sister, and make two pies, no problem. I am ten after all.
And that's what happened. I cleaned up the kitchen afterwards, no worries. They were good pies, and we did eat them while celebrating dark haired, new baby Laurel.
Looking back on this 30 year old memory (and maybe I have forgotten parts, details may be slightly different) I can feel that confident "I got this!" feeling with such clarity: I had no doubts about what I could do. This is the awesome - and frightening - power of youth. I see glimpses of it in the young people around me, and I am both appalled by it (not sure why), in awe of it, smirking at it, and wanting to cheer it on in a big way. It's complicated.
How about you - have you felt that confidence? How old were you? When did you last feel it? I wonder how it could serve us now?