The Mile High Mama Club (not what you're thinking)

I'm not sure if it was Sequoia or Yosemite where my family took a really beautiful hike up to Topehkah Falls.  (All the pretty places are blending together now in my mind). Anyway, after a gorgeous hike up, we got to the top where there was a beautiful view of a waterfall.  It was breathtaking.

But of course, me being the fun sucker that I am, was all too aware of how high up we were, of all craggy rocks that spiked the landscape below us, and how close we were to the edge.  So I started nervously commandeering every step that every member of our family took around the rocks.  It sounded like this:

"Mr. C!!! Be careful!  J's right there- no!  He's too close to the edge.  Hold his hand!"
"Princess G!  Don't lean on that rock! BECAUSE!  I don't know how safe it is!  Just stand here and look at the pretty waterfall, okay?   No!  You don't need to stand on that rock to see it!"

The eye rolls and sighs from Mr. C did not escape my attention.  I didn't care.

Then, this nice Kathy Bates look alike lady in a ranger uniform asked us if we would like her to take our picture with the falls in the background.  We said sure.

As I was showing her the camera and it's functions, I said to her "Sorry I've been sounding like such a paranoid mother."

She looked me straight in the eyes and said right back, "Honey, from one mama to another, don't EVER apologize for being paranoid.  It is just what we do."

And right then I went from feeling like a silly ninny to a empowered, well.... mother.

Sometimes being in the ranks of motherhood is the best place in the world to be.