Happy Mother's Day

I have several friends who have blogs that are the mothers of teen-aged children. In recent days, each of them has expressed the heartache and abundant love that we experience being their parents during some very difficult times. Of all of us, except one, I have the oldest of the children and so as I read some of the entries that are being written by these mothers, I reflect back on the exact moments that I experienced the same feelings, thoughts, heartaches and joys that they are now going through with their own children, as I did when those experiences were those of my older children.
Mind you, I have good kids - even Kathryn , through her struggles and trials, has been such an experience of happiness to raise. Jordan and Kylie were easier, yes, but they still had so many moments in their teenage years that caused the varied emotions from one end of the spectrum to the other...and the up's and down's of their tender years were as heartfelt and dramatic as any other teenager out there. They had broken hearts and broke a few of their own - they felt betrayed from some friends and unconditional loyalty from yet others. They felt both the pressures and expectations of being Mormon's like many of our youth and were often comforted by the strength of their dearest friends and leaders.
The hardest thing about being their mother, and the mother of any teenager, is when there is nothing we can do FOR them, TO them or WITH them to 'make it better'. Many of their situations insist that we remain on the sidelines, observing what we perceive to be painful and heartbreaking moments that they have to endure alone. Our motherly instincts to comfort and 'fix it' tear us apart as we recognize their need to 'learn the lesson from their own experience'.
To you mothers who don't have teenagers yet...you will. Those adorable toddlers without a care in the world become teenagers who have more drama than three hours of soap operas. To you mothers who have young teenagers, I'm right there with you still with Kathryn...we WILL make it through.
To those of us who have raised them past the teenage years....such a sense of satisfaction to see them using the years of 'learning on their own' and the few moments they allowed us to parent them to become the young adults that they are, with firm testimonies, a desire to contribute in the world and good work and moral ethics. Of course, it had nothing to do with us being their mothers, but thank heavens, there is one day a year, Mothers's Day, that at least allows us to THINK we had anything to do with how they turned out.
So MOM's....get ready to enjoy this Sunday, because after that, we are back to only being allowed to worry, cry for and pray about those wonderful children we hope to return to our Heavenly Father.