Worrying has always been part of my daily reality as a mother. Over the years, I have  learned and re-learned  to live with it. I worry about my children’s safety. I wonder how their day went, whether everything is okay, whether they are carrying burdens they haven’t told me about. Like many mothers, I sometimes worry more than I should. I’d like to believe we’ve always had open hearts with one another. Still, I know there are things they choose to keep to themselves.   Then, in early 2021, I was tested.  A long-kept secret of Tenten was finally entrusted to me. What surprised me most wasn’t entirely about what I learned—it was about ime.   “What will people say about me as a mother? I thought I had everything covered.”  Looking back now, I can honestly admit that my worry had quietly become self-centered. For almost a month, every weekend became another long conversation between Tenten and me. There were tears, difficult questions, uncomfortable silences, ...