"Don't do something! Just stand there!"

My husband is very, very good at just standing there. It's probably because he is a special education teacher. He can do nothing effortlessly.

He can notice and care about problems large and small and just stand there. He can just stand there while a child takes five minutes to button up a sweater, struggles with a math problem, or falls down. He makes it look easy.

I can do it too, but I have to work at it.

I have to walk around muttering to myself, "I will not remind Evan (again) about the deadline for the application. I will not come up with three different plans for emancipation complete with deadlines and phone numbers. I will not overwhelm him with my nervous energy. I will not subtly suggest that he is unable to plan for himself. I will let him stumble, pick himself back up and succeed on his own."

I will just stand here.

Maybe it would be easier if I sat down.