parenting

So, I was driving yesterday, thinking about Lucy and how big she is getting. She will be five in a few weeks, and starting kindergarten in the fall...but these weren't the things I was thinking of, I was thinking that for the first time when she stretched her legs out over my lap the other day, I could see in the glow of afternoon light a little layer of peach fuzz on her legs....this led me straight into thinking about how old Walter is getting. He'll be in second grade this fall and is currently riding a "2-wheeler". As I was thinking about these things a girl drove by..her hair was pulled back and she had sunglasses on..talking on the phone..o my gosh, I think, that will be Lucy soon..and Walter..I can barely stand to watch Walter ride a bike. Seriously, it makes me a little nauseous to see him careening around, so close all the time to falling and getting hurt, while I stand and all I can do is WACTH. How will I survive letting my kids grow up? Then this image popped into my mind of cartoon firefighters with their little bulls eye trampoline thing...always showing up to catch the person falling at just the right time. (I imagine their yellow coats and heads unchanging, but their feet moving very quickly..animation has come a long way since this image was imprinted in my brain in the 70's)..Can I be the cartoon firefighter, and show up to catch my kids if they fall?Is that crazy talk? Do I need therapy?