About once a week my teenage daughter and I lie on my bed for an hour…or two…while she unburdens herself of all that is her world. Most of the time I make sympathetic sounds and turn down the ceiling fan.
One of her best friends is jealous, another is chasing her first love, and still another – one of her guy friends – confides in her about all that is his world. Then there is the work: AEP classes, NJHS, and babysitting. The fun: theater auditions, swim team, and her gaggle of girls. And how to make it all work.
I’ve wondered about the similarities before – between her life and my own. Last night while she talked about her relationships with peers and all of the authority figures in her life my suspicion crystalized.
My problems are the same now as they were then. I am navigating relationships, struggling to meet deadlines, find time for fun, and trying to balance it all. Wow. Could this really be true?
My mom used to say, “Things don’t change from house to house except the names.”
The same seems to apply to each one of us across time. Brad weaves his way through those core issues: relationships, work/fun and balance, as does our tween son. Of course the older we get, and the greater our responsibilities to others, the bigger our struggle.
I don’t know. I think my struggle would be more manageable if I took half of the advice and counsel that I share with my kids: keep your side of the street clean, check your motives, and ask for help.
