THE THRILL IS GONE

It has finally happened.  I no longer have any teenagers living in my house. I can't believe it, but it is true.  Friday Jared turned 20 years old ending an era in my life- life with teenagers.  I will miss it greatly.

The teenage years are so fascinating to witness. These emerging adults discovering who they are amid raging hormones, a changing world, horrified parents, an all-important peer group, and a school system that forces every square peg through a round hole. Their lives are changing daily and they are trying to find their equilibrium.

These kids are so enjoyable to be around because there is never a dull moment.  There is always way too much drama going on. Teenagers are simultaneously engaging, infuriating, puzzling and hilarious. Their idealism reminds me just how jaded and cynical the world (and myself) have become. But I so love being around that energy and enthusiasm.  It does start to ebb away as they move into their twenties and college and life start to mellow out the previously frenetic pace.

I am not saying that I don't adore the adults my children are morphing into, because I do. Wholeheartedly. They are loving, intelligent, compassionate individuals who are a joy to be around. They are definitely still a work in progress which leaves me breathless for the next installment. 

For that matter, I guess I am still a work in progress as well.  And, really, isn't that the whole point? I get to move out of the arena where my life sometimes felt like a pinball game frequently on "tilt".  I now get to enjoy my children as adults spending time together because we choose to, and make an effort to get together, rather than have to because our beds are all under they same roof ( although in this case some of them still are). 

I can enlarge my circle of nurturing with the inclusion of grandkids, in-laws and people of my own choosing.  I can develop talents either previously unexplored or long dormant and contribute to things I consider meaningful. I hope to expand my capacities for both love and service. Perhaps my ability to reinvent myself will leave others breathless.