I remember when Hailey was little, each age I thought was the best, and then she would get a little older and I was convinced this was the best age. The same can be said for single parenting. When I first got divorced and we settled into our first little apartment and there wasn’t any stress or arguing or tension, I thought, this is the best time.
Then as Hailey got a little older and I didn’t have to pay daycare so money wasn’t quite so tight, I thought, this is the best time. Then we went through the typical teenage daughter over protective mother issues and my stress level rose. When that time settled down and Hailey started to talk to me more, I thought, this is the best time.
When I bought a house for us and we got a little dog and had a cute little yard, I was convinced that this was the best time. Now Hailey is older, we are past the teenage drama, past the time she feels like she has to butt heads with me to exert her independence, past arguing about curfew and boys and homework. I’m sure this is the best time.
Our evenings at home are enjoyable. We spend time talking and doing things together. We enjoy each other’s company. It’s very relaxed, something I could not have imagined when she was thirteen. As sad as it is that my baby is growing up, I am loving this young woman she has become.
I love the inside jokes we have, and cooking together and talking about our days. All these things were impossible when she was rebelling against everything that makes me, well, me. I guess when I look back on Hailey’s life and the time I’ve spent as her mother, it really has all been the best time.
Even when I cried every night because I didn’t know how to handle this teenager alone, she still amazed me every day. There has never been a time that I have not felt blessed to be Hailey’s mom. I would do it all over again, everything from midnight feedings to purple hair and Mohawks, just to spend time with my girl.