It came as a thought

There was no moment, no event, no experience.

There was only a thought.

A thought that she wouldn’t always be there for me.

A thought that one day she wouldn’t be there drive me places, pay for my expenses, or give me the extra push to do something.

We would be distant, detached and I would be left alone.

And that terrified me

To be an adult

To be completely responsible

To succeed in my own life

To realize I am no longer a child.

I would no longer someone to be coddled and cared for

No longer someone dependent on its guardian

Just another individual.

And with that single thought I began to realize that I would grow—that I am grown.

That I will one day be in charge of my own future, my own path

That maybe one day I shall be the one with the child dependent on me

A child I care for and protect and love

And a child that will rely on me until the moment they realize that they too, are no longer a child.