Today is my son’s birthday, and “just like that,” there’s a teenager in our home!
If I weren’t living it, I would not believe how swiftly time flew to get us to this moment. Wasn’t it only yesterday that I was rushed to the hospital for a child who could not wait to enter the world? Wasn’t it only yesterday that I left the hospital longing for the day to bring my preemie home? Only yesterday for so many milestones, minor setbacks, and victories?
I can fill a book with all the things I learned through motherhood and my son. With his quick wit and acumen as I journey through, my son has been by far my most persistent life coach. So…in honor of my-not-so little one’s induction into “teendom,” I’m sharing 13 “random” lessons from my now-teen. I’m not prioritizing because there are many, many valuable lessons and what follows are the first 13 “off the top of my head.”
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- There is an unbelievable storehouse of strength inside to get through some of the toughest challenges life tosses my way.
- Paper, paint, and markers are the absolute best tools to chase the blues away. Humming while creating chases them even faster.
- Real intelligence is being able to explain the most abstract or complex concepts in the simplest terms.
- I set the standard for myself. Other people’s opinions [of me] really don’t matter.
- There are way more important things than work. Taking time to play is a right and a responsibility.
- Sometimes a good cry and a nap make the world a whole lot better.
- The sweetest /most valuable things in life cost nothing.
- If I don’t like the story, I can rewrite it, recast it, and make myself the hero!
- Sometimes, I am the only sane one in the bunch.
- Reading the Holy Writ for hours at a time is never a waste of time.
- It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask.
- There’s a theory for everything.
- Look up. There’s still so much wonder in the clouds.
I cherish every moment of my son’s growth from one phase in life to the next. I’m glad I held him in my arms as much as I could and adjusted my life and schedule to spend more time with him. I’m “in my feelings” a bit over how quickly time flies, but I’ll just rest in these moments and not worry that in the next “blink of my eyes” he’ll be off to college.
