Cuidadora and DC, thank you both. Your kind words and reassurances mean a lot to me. "I'm a Mom; that's what I do" is exactly how I feel, and a part of me does feel like a failure of a Mom, at that. But I did the best I knew how to do and now the "best I know how to do" means letting others care for and teach my son.
I definitely plan to keep his book bag. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of Radar's teddy bear.
Don't worry about me taking care of myself. I am really doing so now for the first time since my son was born. I've started exercising again and plan to lose the excess weight I've been adding over the years, and today I plan to head to a local festival and have a day of expending time, money, and energy just having *fun*. (I've almost forgotten what that was like.)
Joy,
Lynn
