He Calls Me Mom

Life can change on a dime, especially living with kids ages 16 - 22, but I'm happy to say it feels at this moment that life has turned an optimistic corner, in one area at least.

My son Jeffrey really feels like a son now. Our life together is dotted with arguments, misunderstandings, laughter, love, and private jokes, just as it should be. And he calls me mom. Yesterday on the ride up north, Mike and I were giving Jeffrey some life advice (aka part of "the talk" and our expectations), and embarrassed, he tried to shush us by saying "I know, I know ... you raised me right."

Well that did shush me, but not in the way he expected. How could he think that we have raised him right, already. It's only been a few months and I have so much more wisdom yet to impart...c'mon I'm so not done!

Then I see it through his eyes. Yeah, maybe we have raised him right in a few months. He had already done a great job all on his own. If we have managed to communicate with our actions and words (sometimes too many of them) what it means to be part of a family, then we must be doing something right. Showing Jeffrey that parents are supposed to challenge, question, celebrate, love unconditionally, and share life's little and big moments, is humbling.

And it makes me immediately sad that he had to survive so long thinking he was in it all alone, or at the very least in it with only Sadie to care about him. How great that he was led to our door, via Sadie, to be shown love and to experience hope for the first time.

I am one lucky chick to have been given this opportunity. We are one lucky family to share this experience together. I am so thankful that both Mike and I were raised "right" as well, so that we can try to pass it on. Thank you Mom and Dad S & Z for showing us unconditional love, and for parenting with insight and expectations.

Are you taking time to celebrate the successes in your life? No matter how long they last?