When do we become our parents? (Subtitle: When did I become an actual grown-up?)

I stopped at Shop Rite this morning on my way to see my parents. While there, I bumped into a woman I went to high school with. She was a senior when I was a freshman. She has a brother one year younger than me and we grew up on the same street but pretty far away from another (our street was LONG!). Great girl--very bright and nice to everyone. Our conversation went like this:

Me: "Hey, how are you?"

Her: "Great, how are you? How are you parents?" (we knew one another's parents loosely since our town was not that big)

Me: "Oh, they're fine, thanks. How's everyone on you end?"

Her: "Oh, you know--everyone's still breathing!" She laughed.

I smiled. Me: "And how are your kids?" I know she has 2 of them.

Her: "There're great because they're at home! I told everyone I just HAD to go to the supermarket. I figure that gives me about 2 hours to myself!" She had a cup of coffee with her.

Me: "Well, enjoy you time--and enjoy your coffee. Take care"

Her: "You too hon, take care!"

As I walked away I thought to myself that she reminded me of someone. When I walked through the automatic sliding doors, it hit me who she reminded me of. Her mother. The interaction we had just shared (which I found to be perfectly pleasant) reminded me of her mom and the few, short, friendly interactions I had had with her mom over the years. Then that got me thinking. Was I my mom? Do I say things that my mom used to say or still says? Do I interact with others the way she did and does? Am I glad about this or not glad about this. My mom is a well-liked lady, but I want to be my own me and not the next version of her.

If so, when did this happen to me? Or more so, when in the world did I become a real grown-up? I don't feel like a true real grown-up, maybe because I am not married yet and don't have kids (but if I was married and had kids would I say I didn't feel like a grown-up for another reason?). When did I become one? I was just at Great Adventure 2 weeks ago riding all the roller coasters and I did not bring any children with me there (instead I brought 2 grown men).

Am I in limbo? And what makes a grown-up REAL?

I guess you never know what's going to give you food for thought on any given day. A two-minute run-in with fellow high school alumni is sometimes all it takes, I guess.

Today please pray for my high school classmate and her young family. Also, I don't want to get political here, but I do hope that we are all praying for the Middle East situation (especially because Pope B XVI has requested we do so in a big way). Lord, hear our prayer.