How does a mom 'mother' her 15 or 16-year-old son she has only known a little over 2 years? A very private and independent boy who grew up under circumstances only God knows?
I'm parenting two teenage sons.
One of whom was who was born to another woman. And in a story, I will never know.
He's a typical teenager, and I thank God for that.
He's funny, smart, his cheeks turn red when embarrassed, tries harder than we notice, loves video games, friends and inappropriate jokes.
He only comes to me for help when he needs his nice clothes ironed on game days, when we run out of dinosaur egg oatmeal or he needs a ride home from practice.
Today I noticed his voice had changed. He sounded older. My heart knows his childhood is coming to an end, and that boyish giggle always had my heart.
These days I don't hear it as much as I'd like to, or as much as his friends do.
During the week he doesn't say much in the morning and keeps to himself. We've learned this after many mornings of empty responses to "Good Morning."
And that's okay.
When he feels like talking, my ear will always be open.
When he chooses silence, I choose to respect his silence.
I know I will never be the mom he wanted. She took off when he was young.
But with this crazy privilege of being Mack's mom, I can only trust God knew what He was doing when He chose me to mother him.
Surely, He knows I'm clueless.
Right?
I do know teenagers need a place to figure out what feels right to them.
Somedays it's everything and some days it's nothing.
I've never believed being a teenager is easy.
And some days our greatest job of Mom is to pretend we don't even notice.
Yet here I am, watching him laugh himself into hysterics with his siblings in a warm home, clean clothes, a full belly, and safe people to call family.
That little boy giggle will always have my heart...
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