Cleaning Brushes and Raising Teenagers

Years ago a very wise woman told me not to wish my kids' lives away. For the life of me I can't remember who she was, but with advice like that, I know she was wise. At the time Jack was a newborn and wasn't sleeping through the night. I remember being at church and said "I CAN'T wait until he sleeps through the night." I remember this sweet lady telling me that my feelings were valid, but she cautioned me not to wish for the next season to come quickly. She so gently told me that one day my kids would be grown and gone, and I'd look back and miss those sleepless nights; just he and I, alone in the silent safety of his nursery. 

Boy, was she right.

Let me be honest: if she wouldn't have cautioned me in such a considerate way, I probably would have thrown her advice out with the bath water. But she met me in my exhaustion and frustration, validated my experience, and gently steered me in a different direction: towards God and thankfulness for the season I was in. 

Since that day I have been very careful not to wish their (or my) lives away. I've had moments of frustration with my circumstances where I've faltered, but I always end up back in the same camp: Life is a precious gift. Sometimes it's ugly, messy and terrifying, but it's always precious.

I would say that these teenage years are both my favorite and least favorite stages of my kids' lives so far. I love how they're becoming these young versions of who they will grow up to be. Seeing them thrive the way God has gifted them is a joy. They're both SO fun to be around. We goof off a lot in our house and there's usually laughter. But it's also challenging in ways I didn't expect. The technology age has changed the way kids and adults relate to each other. To add to that, my position as the only adult in our household poses unique challenges. But oh how we have grown to love, trust and care for each other. And the laughter. It's one of my favorite things.

If you've been wondering how brushes fit into this narrative, your wait is over:

Sending Jack to the store so I don't have to always be the one running the errands has been the saving grace of my 40s. And usually he does a superb job getting everything on the list, which is more than I can say for GROWN men. But there are those rare times that he comes back with something so random that all Sarah and I can do is laugh and give him an E for effort.

I've been on a health journey and now only buy A2 milk. (If you're not sure what that is, read here.) Our local grocery store sells A2 milk that is flavored (butter pecan 😍) and is TO DIE FOR in my morning coffee. It also comes in CUTE glass bottles like the old fashioned milk man would bring. I wanted to keep the Christmas themed bottle for flowers, and needed to wash the milk residue out of it. So I sent Jack to HEB with a "bottle brush" on the list in the HEB app. Specific name, color, and aisle provided for a fool-proof purchase. I even told him the purpose of this brush before he went. I did not take into account, however, that there was a BOWL brush of the same color available on the same aisle. What do you suppose he came home with?

It wasn't the bottle brush.

You guessed it, he bought a blue and white toilet brush. When I came home and saw it on the counter all I could do was laugh. "HOW can I fit this into a milk bottle to wash it?" I asked him. But Sarah and I looked at each other as he shrugged his shoulders and just laughed. 

One day (soon) I will miss the foibles my son made when I sent him on errands. I'll miss the loud, annoying sound of his pickup pulling into my driveway with his music WAYYYY to loud. I'll miss the sound of he and his sister laughing down the hall at some inside joke of theirs. So today, I'm going to laugh at the toilet brush and not mind the extra trip I had to make to exchange it for what I really needed. 

I'm grateful for this precious life and it's minor inconveniences. 

Love, 

A mom who's first baby graduates high school in 5 months

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