Saturday, August 11, 2007

From a distance

Tomorrow I will be -not the mother of a child and a teen- but the mother of two teenagers. My daughter turns 13 tomorrow. This is the sweet girl who still likes to walk with her hand in mine, who'll call me by phone when she's sick and needs me to race up a mountain to get to her, who gives me foot rubs, who likes to bake with me, and who is my fashion consultant. (You should see her roll her eyes when I pick out something too staid and dull! )

These will be wonderful years. (I'm "calling it out", remember?). I don't say this naively- I already have a 17 yr old teenage son who has taught me more about calling upon God for grace than almost anything else has! But it's not because he's wild or bad- he's just an adult-in-process and I'm a mother who is learning the art of loving fiercely and "letting go". I never realized when I gave birth to my children that I would always, always be a mother- yet they would not always be children.Think about that. They grow, mature, and leave the nest someday, walking away as adults practically. We grow, mature, but we will never stop being a mother- even though they need less mothering of the type we did for so many years.

My daughter seems to like trying her wings based at home base. She can't see how she would ever want to leave home. I may always have a close relationship with her, or she may grow more than she thought, and change to need more room, more challenges, more sights to see. I really don't know how our relationship will change.

For now, her hand is in mine a lot, her eyes smiling at me. My teenage son smiles at me, but from across a room or as he is heading out the door. And from a necessary distance, I can see he is doing just fine. I may not always do well with this transition.But we will still transition. We can not stay in the past, nor cling to the memories of what they were: adorable children with impish grins, snuggled close to me. They will always be snuggled close to my heart, but even as I embrace them I will see them, more and more ...from a distance.


"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven...." Ecclesiastes 3:1

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Lauren!
SOooooooooo TRUE..they grow up too quickly!
We just returned from Athens, Georgia--home of the "BULLDOGS" (UGA) and my eldest's new abode for the coming school year.

I had to "choke back" the TEARS (BIG lump in my throat) saying GOOD BYE, waving, blowing KISSES to my 20 year old as we drove off and over 200 miles back to North Carolina.

I miss Matthew already and have had to instill GREAT self control not calling and text paging him 16 times today--I figured it might be too overly "protective" as a MOM.
But in my heart HE is here!

Can we be overly protective? Probably!
Mothering MEN is a new challenge in and of itself. I think of Mary our Lord's Mother and how much worry she experienced....from losing him in the temple as a little boy and witnessing his suffering and work for us on the cross. How she pondered every moment in her heart!

I ponder too and know only GOD can watch HIS children 24x7, 365 days a week like no other parent.

I pray your daughter has a wonderful Birthday and that you will always stay CLOSE in heart.

For me saying good bye to Matthew was just difficult temporary parting for in our hearts we will always be very close. Just like you and your son. Just like Mary and Jesus.

Good LUCK with 2 TEENAGERS in the HOUSE now...OH the HORMONAL challenges to come!

I am praying for you,
Peace and Blessings,
Lisa

"Praise be to the Name of GOD for ever and ever!!Wisdom and Power are His. Daniel 2:20 NIV
~visit my website at : http://lisaheidrich.wordpress.com check out "HOT Flash" blog~