Saddle Up For Sixteen Years
Sixteen... the turning point for every teen... the age at which they are so close to official adulthood... the age when the adults in their life begin mentally preparing to let go.
Today, my middle daughter turned sixteen. I can still remember the day she was born. She decided to begin her journey in the world before dawn. At the hospital, she did not follow the rule book and was born via c-section right about noon. In the 60 seconds that I saw her before she was whisked off for her new baby check, I noticed a preauricular sinus over each ear, a hemangioma on her back, a cyst in her neck, and a birth mark around her mid section.
I had questions... But the doctors assured me that she was just fine... had good lungs. When she arrived in my room, I was anxious to unwrap her and check everything. She was screaming bloody murder, scratching, and wiggling everywhere. A feisty little something, she came into the world commanding attention. She had big pretty wet eyes (because she kept crying). She had scratches all over her face (because outside of my belly was not working for her). She was a tiny little thing (but her baby muscles were poking out).
Fast forward to the anniversary of her sixteenth year of life and I am just amazed. As is tradition, we had a little gathering of available immediate family members on her big day. She chose the busiest place in town it seemed. The restaurant of course had a song and dance for birthday peeps. However, it was a bit different from your typical variation of the "Happy Birthday" song. Instead, they pulled a saddle strapped stool to the table, grabbed a cloth napkin and told her to hop on. Then, everyone in our section yelled "he-haw" as she waved her cowboy flag in the air and beamed with a bit of embarrassment.
My second daughter grew from being a tiny little fragile baby doll sized infant to a short ball of fire and firmness. In retrospect, I should have known she would be super active. She bounced around in my belly all day and night. It was like she never slept. She did gymnastics in elementary school. Gave the "field" part of track and field as well as cheerleading a whirl in middle school. In high school, she has continued as a cheerleader and learned to pole vault. We are constantly working on motivation and self-esteem (very important during the teen years). Her favorite body parts are her guns. She has beautifully defined shoulder and arms.
As I sit here reflecting on the day, I think back to days 1 to 5,840. I have learned lots of lessons for working with my teenage girls and my Lexi Lou.
- Be patient and kind.
- Raising your voice in frustration doesn't fix it.
- Every mom and daughter need a date every few months.
- If your teenager is talking, you better be listening.
- Teenagers want help with everything from making the bed to making decisions.
- Teenagers don't always ask for help.
- Stay out of the drama.
- Sibling rivalry is real.
Sixteen years is definitely a milestone. We're looking forward to saddling up and going on the ride for the next chapter and all that we are blessed to enjoy in the future.