Summer
June was a slow month full of lots of down time (as well as productivity at work and with my writing). S was home alone a lot of the time--a first for her--but I was able to get home each day by around 1 p.m., so we were still getting quality time together. I was letting go a little, realizing how desperately she needed some unstructured time, and although she often didn't make the best decisions, she certainly wasn't making unsafe ones--and we were able to process and she to learn, at least to some extent, from the decisions she made that weren't the best. But July--wow, it was a whole different story. Suddenly mid-July was here, and we were preparing for S's dance camp. She would be attending a week-long arts camp, in the dance program. I talked with the teachers and camp director beforehand, and we made arrangements to ensure that she would have a safe, encouraging environment and that I would be able to support her by being nearby. We shared a room in the dorm, and ...