I'm continuing with my 2012 Advent Challenge of Living in the Moment Through the Eyes of Faith. My inspiration for today came from Mothering From Scratch in today's post titled 'Delayed Gratification'. Melinda wrote about her teenage daughter and used a present day moment to launch into the idea that someday her daughter would come to understand and appreciate all the time, love and boundaries they gave her.
Melinda's post was encouraging to me since I often have the same thoughts about my own teenagers, especially my oldest. I know that Mike dismisses my worry with his teenage confidence. He often overlooks the privileges that he takes for granted(like having a family that loves him, a house to live in, a car to drive, the opportunity to go to college, etc.)....although I am guilty of that offense at times as well. He usually doesn't see all the thought that goes into cooking a special meal with him in mind, or buying him a little something because he was on my heart....or trying to rack my brain to find a Christmas present that will please him because he likes to be "surprised"....or trying to stay positive and patient even when his attitude is less than desirable.
Sometimes I feel so frustrated that it makes me just want to give up and just wait until he matures and grows out of this stage! (Do parenting stages ever really end?)
Someday....probably not until he is a parent himself...he will understand. Hopefully he will see my perseverance with his ups and downs as an act of love. Hopefully he will see our Wednesday trips to the store, or the zoo, or to lunch as proof of how loved he was...even when he didn't want to feel it!
I have to adjust my attitude as well, and soak in the "good moments" to be more resilient to the not-so-good moments!
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