Words of Wisdom

I am lucky to have the world's best parents.

It came in handy as a kid growing up to live in a home filled with love and laughter. As a teenager and young adult, it was cool to have REASONABLE people for parents - they trusted, loved and didn't place too many restrictions on me. When I became a parent myself, I loved and appreciated them at a whole new level as the trials of becoming a mom myself began to kick in.

Well, the lessons continue and today I learned a big one from Daddy. You see, I have a fourteen year old living at my house...and he's being a fourteen year old. He's exerting his opinion about things, wanting to spend oodles of time on the phone and with his friends, and pushing his outer limits in search of more independence as he becomes a young man.

His mom, on the other hand, is reacting emotionally to the seemingly sudden emergence of this young man. I want him off the phone, at the table with his family, communicative about the emotions he's going through, and polite with his parents, his brother and other grown ups he encounters.

I don't think I'm asking too much.

Neither does he.

Sometimes lately, we're driving each other crazy.

Well, this morning I was talking on the phone to my parents, who are somewhere in the south working their way back to Gulfport. I was lamenting my current situation with the fourteen year old and Daddy said, "Are you being positive and loving with him? Are you building him up and telling him how wonderful he is?"

Silence on my end as I had a flashback to them doing that with me when I was a teenager...yikes! Was I as bad to them as I feel like he's being to me?

My answer to Daddy: "What if he doesn't deserve it?" (What kind of a terribe thing was that for me to say????)

His answer to me: "Then be twice as loving and positive to him."

Double yikes - he's right! So that's my task for today - to stop dwelling on my nit-picking criticism of every little thing that's driving me nuts and to start an intense focus on all that is good and wonderful about the young man who lives at my house. Those aspects of him far outweigh anything else - I am, indeed, a lucky (but somewhat weary) mom of a wonderful and loveable teenage son.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the lessons...If I can be half the parent you are hopefully my boys will do ok in this life!