I haven't mentioned this for awhile, so some of you might not know or might not remember that I have two teenagers at home. A while back, I was sitting at a group lunch with my coworkers talking with my boss about kids these days. She said that the most challenging ages were 13 for girls and 17 for boys. "Yippee", I thought, "I have one of each."
Standing, as I often am, on the brink of losing my mind, it's been a really, really, really (REALLY!!!) challenging year or so. People don't tell you that. If you believe everything you read on Facebook, you'd think the world (or at least this part of West Texas) is populated with perfect kids and their perfect parents. (Note to self: Unfriend all those people.)
Being checked out by the dolphins in Hawaii this summer.
Today's poetic post is for all the imperfect parents and their equally imperfect progeny.
Teenagers
Teenager,
teenager,
Smart as a
whip
You can’t
wait ‘til it’s time
For you to
jump ship.
To take hold
of your destiny;
Make your
own way;
Be your own
person;
Seize your
own day.
But take it
from me
Being grown
up is hard.
It’s more
than a valid
State ID
card.
Along with
your freedom
You pay
bills and get bosses.
You get to
pay taxes
And count
stock market losses.
One day, you
may have
a
teenager, too.
And there’ll
be no one dumber
Or more
backward than you.
Then maybe
you’ll come over
And give me
a hug.
And tell me
you’re grateful.
And I’ll try
not to be smug.
A smarty
pants teen
Who thought that
my parents
Were nothing
but mean.
Now I will
stop,
So I don’t
start to bug.
I need to go
give
Your grandma
a hug.
May the good Lord bless us today with infinite patience and infinite peace and may we share those things with all the people in our lives.
<3 Lori
