Sweetness!

ASid is 4 days away from turning 16, and I was struggling with what to write about this sweet milestone. Yesterday, he said something that totally inspired me to write this post!

We were discussing a dad throwing his son out of their home because the son wasn't exactly doing well at school or home. Having known this child since he was a toddler, I sympathized with the boy. To my surprise, ASid thought I was being unfair by blaming the dad 100%. I agreed but I was going by my knowledge of the decisions the dad made for this boy in the past that affected his present situation. Of course, I added that one can only blame a parent for a certain time frame; after that, a child needs to take responsibility as well.

As we dwelt on this unfortunate situation, ASid shared that most problems people experience are because of miscommunication and inconsistency. That is when he surprised me with his maturity. What he said is so true and I hope he remembers his own words as he moves through teenage into young adulthood and for the rest of his life!

It was then that I decided to take a moment to appreciate him coming out of his room to chat with me. To which he responded with "I am 45% introvert. I need time by myself to recharge. I hope you noticed I have gone out to meet with my friends at least 3 times each week!"

Well, I never argue with logic even when I don't understand where the stats come from; however, I decided to not ask!

A couple of years ago, I attended a seminar on teenagers with some other well-meaning parents. When I mentioned this to ASid at that time, he asked me if he was a problem?! I told him that he was not and I was only attending out of curiosity and to arm myself with information if I ever needed it in the future. When I did attend the session, there were many parents there. Some talked about how their teens have stopped communicating completely with them. I saw parents who were distressed. The speaker's best advice to all of us parents gathered there was to tell our teens that we love them and hug them as often as we can.

I hope ASid knows how much I love him. I really have very little to complain about. I am truly fortunate to have him as my teen. For his 16th, I wish him the independence he seeks in the form of a driver's licence and some summer pay cheques. I also hope he realizes that it is eventually determination and diligence that get us what we want.