Once your mom's child, always a child?

I was at an art event last night and who should walk in but my accountant. Since I usually only visit her around tax time, it was a treat, because I really like my accountant.

So when I saw her last night, we immediately got glasses of wine and settled in to talk. Turns out she's going on a family vacation out West soon -- the San Diego area, then up to Las Vegas. And not only is she going with her adult son and his family, but she's bringing her parents along.

Would I attempt such a trip? Hell, no! But she's really looking forward to it, especially the time she'll spend with her mom and dad.

My accountant is at least a decade older than me (I don't dare guess past that, because she's one of those ageless women who look 40 until they're 65), so I was surprised when she said her parents were the only people who could still tell her what to do. What? Don't we ever get past that point in our lives? And when I complained that my mom sometimes treats me as if I were still 12, she nodded ruefully in understanding.

"Don't they ever see us as adults?" I asked. This is a sticking point with me, because my mom often refers to me as "little girl," when I'm much taller and almost 40.

But my accountant, a daughter and a mother herself, just said no, our parents never do.

Well, as long as my mom doesn't impose curfews or choose outfits for me or wipe smudges off my face with a licked bit of napkin, I guess I'll be OK.