Those who know me would probably agree that I tend to thrive in the hysterical, especially when it comes to my only biological son. The first time he was picked up by his friends and didn’t get home past his curfew, I panicked. I wanted to jump in the car and go look for him. His cell phone was dead, and in my mind, so were my hopes of ever seeing him alive. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, even for me, LOL! But my panic-ridden brain couldn’t stop imagining all the terrible things that could have happened. I paced up and down and called his father to see if he had any luck tracking him down, which, fortunately, he did.
When my son finally returned home that night, I couldn’t help feeling a bit ashamed of my overreaction. That episode taught me I needed to take a deep breath and learn to embrace this new stage of parenting. My son is a teenager with a busy social life and lots of friends, and I realized I can’t control every moment.
The challenge grew when his father and I bought him a car, an older Jeep Wrangler that gets him to school, work, and out with his friends. So far, so good. He’s been responsible with curfew, attending school, and not getting pulled over. Trusting his judgment has been key. I know there will be bumps along the way, but we’ll get through them.
Besides, the freedom of not having to drive him everywhere and enjoying some time off when he’s out with friends is pretty nice. It’s preparing me for my empty-nesting years, though I know I’ll still worry a little, as any loving parent does.
So it begins….oh yeah it never stops
I’m starting to realize that!