Frequently, very loving and attentive parents will ask me "This is our situation. What should we do?" I say "Congratulate yourselves that you are asking, at all! Now, I have some bad news: How in the heck should I know... We are all in this, together!"
Routinely, I am quite candid about how scary "raising children" has been, even so far, for us... As a 12 year old, when I lived in upstate New York, my friends and I used to toboggan downhill, standing UP, at NIGHT! (I have witnesses who are willing to testify that I always went first!)
But, that was NOTHING, compared to the terror and daunting nature of raising children, both toddlers and teens, in particular. I was working on a photo album today, for my college bound child... (He won't care, but if I don't do it, he will later say..."You didn't do that for ME!")... and he saw a picture of his father and I on the day we married... He said (tactfully?) "Wow- look at that happy couple, with dark hair and big smiles... before children started beating you down..." His father and I looked at each other and cracked up! His dad said "We are not beaten. You flatter yourself."
Another child (new driver's license/new used car/great sunglasses/braces-oops!) is preparing to go off to the East Coast for a leadership event in "Trial and Advocacy." We told her she may just seek to learn a few tips beyond the relentless use of "kissing up" and "wearing down." She is very loving, strong willed as he**, extremely thoughtful and detailed about showing it, while also caught up in her zest for adventure... We don't blame her... we give the permissions, hug her close and pray...
Both of these teenagers have told me, privately, ("You know, Mom...") this last week, the EXACT number of days (accurately, because I already counted, but I didn't tell them!) which they have together until they go their separate ways... and how many days they will be together before the "Off to College Odyssey" begins... That will be one day, later this month. Sometime along, I will tell them about their shared anticipatory loss of each other. We are so very
fortunate... We are the grateful embracers of the "Crazy Times."
