Teenage Wasteland

My three boys were SO easy...UNTIL... they became teenagers. Now everyday is a problem to solve, a mountain to climb, or a series of exaggerated issues to manipulate down to to manageable levels. Some days are easier than others.  Some days, most days, I feel as though God couldn't have possibly thought that I could do this! I'm unorganized, impatient, controlling and I am totally incapable of expressing myself in 3 words or less (of which my 16 year old says he doesn't hear past). ALL of those qualities seem to DOOM me as a parent to teenagers!  I'm absolutely convinced most of the time that they surly won't graduate, they'll end up in jail, homeless, or just be incapable of living life as adults. And it's ALL MY FAULT! After all, I can't blame them; I'm the one who is RESPONSIBLE to raise them.

I am convinced that they have NEVER heard a word I've said. My rambling lectures and advice has been a waste of my time, and breath. Many times my solution, however has been to shut my mouth, through up my arms and give up. However, I care too much and that's just not my style. Not speaking, to me, is tourcher, if not impossible.

So I bother them, lecture them, yell at them and  continue to give them advice. ALL of this day after day is EXHAUSTING!

BUT...have failed to tell you I have another son who's 25. He's now married with a beautiful baby boy. He has recently enrolled in college (something we all thought would never happen), and he calls me TOO MANY times a day for advice on EVERYTHING. When I began to see him do MANY things as I had taught him to, I remarked that I never knew he heard anything I had said. His response was, "I heard it ALL. I would've never let you know that because then I'd have to admit I didnt know it all".

Back when HE was a teenager it all seemed hopeless. So now, the ONLY thing that gets me through his brothers and sisters is REMEMBERING what he said". It gives me hope that in the end, however it seems right now, things will all turn out fine no matter how much I lecture, talk, scream or mess up.