One of the things I love about my kids being off from school on winter break is that we can carve out a little time to do things together—maybe not as much time as we used to have when they actually WANTED to spend more time with old mom, but a lunch here and a movie there, or a little shopping trip and I can be satisfied for quite a while. Yesterday, with the weather cold and drizzly and threatening snow, one of my daughters and I went to the Olive Garden and managed to spend over two hours lingering over a simple lunch!
Who knew that the simple soup, salad and breadsticks would keep us both eating and chatting for so long? Now, granted, this is my daughter who is a slow, lingering eater anyway and always has been—but it was amazing that at nearly seventeen, she and I could get through two hours of constant visiting with no arguments or fights, and actually have a rather lovely time. A couple years ago, when she and I were in the midst of the teenage tug-o-war, I never would have thought such a day possible!
Granted, the fact that they kept bringing us more salad and warm breadsticks helped—it was tough to imagine leaving quickly when we could stay in the warm, bustling restaurant and eat our fill. By the time the steaming bowls of soup arrived, we were convinced we could spend the rest of the afternoon at our comfy table and wouldn’t need to eat again for a day or two.
I know I have mentioned it before, but it really does amaze me how much we are able to go through with our children and how we CAN stay connected if we really want it and we work at it. There have been times when it would have been much easier for me to throw up my hands and give up than it was to just keep working away and find new ways of connecting in the midst of letting go and letting them grow up. Yesterday as my daughter and I lingered over a long lunch with no pressure, no arguments, and neither of us in a hurry to get back “to our own worlds”—I couldn’t help but feel fully how very worth it all that work and struggles is!
Also: Lessons in Laundry
Older Teens Really Don’t Come with Parenting Manuals
Letting Them Really BE Teenagers