21

The winning hand in black jack.  The age at which you can first legally consume a beer or other alcoholic beverage.  The product of 7 and 3, two prime numbers.  Add this number to the word Century and you can sell Real Estate in a gold jacket. 

It's a great age.  It's hard to remember what it was like to be that young, facing graduation from college and a whole new world of opportunity.  I would not have imagined that 5 years later I would give birth to a son who would someday be that age.  But here it is.  I  now find myself the mother of an amazingly talented 21 year old son majoring in Art at Indiana University. 

How is it possible that the adorable child who loved to watch Jane Fonda exercise videos could now be old enough to live his own life?  And how is a parent supposed to make that transition from being closely involved in all aspects of his life to being available only when called upon?  How do you shift gears from telling them what to do to supporting them in their own decisions. 

It may take me 21 more years to figure that one out.