Phew, that's all I can say. What a week last week was. Both kids starting new schools---one high school freshman, one homeschooling high school senior/dually enrolled college student. Talk about stress. But you know what--- I'm so proud of my two teens. They are such wonderful people. I've been doing a lot of reflecting this week, especially today. Looking back, my childhood and school years were pretty smooth overall. Healthy, good student, had good friends. Life was easier then, I know (I am OLD, and things were simpler then--although it may not have felt that way at the time! Teen years are never really EASY.) But, relatively speaking, I never realized until recently, how pretty smooth things actually went for me. Maybe that wasn't such a good thing... "WHAT???" you say! I'll explain. Both of my kids have had serious, life altering illnesses within the past few years. They've started schools, left schools, homeschooled. They've not had the stamina to do the things most kids find pretty routine. All the while, they were looking fairly healthy, so that not even their friends or our extended family could truly understand what they were going through. There have been many other changes that have affected their lives over the last few years. But all of these trials and events have worked in their lives to impact their thoughts about faith, friendships, and life in general. They both realize the treasure of friendship, much more than I did at their ages. They appreciate the days they feel healthy and strong much more than I ever did. They realize how special people are---way more special than things could ever be. They are seeing how having experienced these trials in their life may help them help someone else in the future. And they have verbalized these thoughts to me. Their character and wisdom are way beyond what mine were at their ages. I'm NOT saying I'm glad they have suffered (naturally, I wish they had not had such a bumpy path!) While I have gotten teary more than once today at the difficult adjustments in their lives and at what a blur the last few years have been, I'm also embracing the changes, and thanking God for these two beautiful blessings He gave me to love and who have taught me so much. So on a much lighter note (!) here is another page addition to my Christmas scrapbook--my two teens at Christmas 14 years ago. I'm plugging away at this little book. I want to put it out on the coffee table at holiday time. (You can click the photo to make it bigger. Sorry it's not the greatest photo!)
