In our imperfect world with our imperfect parenting, we won’t always get it right. Our conversations are far from Mary Poppins’ spoonful of sugar. Parenting fails are expected. However, every time we do it wrong (which we will) we have a chance to ask for forgiveness and start over. Each day is a new start and opportunity to plant new seeds.
Parents, we are planting seeds in our children every day of their lives. The harvest will come, but we just don’t know when. Sometimes is shows up quickly (crawling, talking, walking). Sometimes the harvest of talents or values does not come until well after children leave home. So, from age 0 to 18, our job is to plant many seeds and nurture what we can to “fill them up” so that when our kids start their our journey, they don’t start on empty.
In all challenging days of meal-making, carpool, after-school practices, homework, weekend games, dance recitals, competitions, online meetings, working overtime, home improvement repairs, and trips to the market, I hope we can enjoy pieces of the parenting adventure. It is hard. And it takes intentionality to look for the joy.
Ready for a ride??? Fasten your seat belts as raising teens can feel like a speedway with a lot of hairpin turns! Change. Flexibility. The teen adventure is about shifting gears.
