I am always saying how important it is that we are ready to talk to our teens…at any moment, any time. Sometimes that can really get tested and while I have had my moments where I let it slip, yesterday was one of those where I really rose above.
I rose above my feelings, my fatigue and my weariness…and it became one of those moments in time where you look back and feel so good about it.
Yesterday was an incredibly long day. I spent several hours at Children’s Hospital with my 12-year-old who had to undergo an endoscopy, which required general anesthesia. In a past surgery he had a lot of trouble with the anesthesia so the entire event was a bit challenging to me emotionally.
Plus there was the whole thing of whether or not the doctor would find something (he didn’t) and now waiting for some biopsies to come back. If that weren’t enough, when we got home I had to run to the store for a few things. Then I had to drop my daughter off at the library and then go back to Children’s Hospital for my 17-year-old’s dentist appointment.
By this time I was worn out emotionally and I was tired. His appointment was at 6 p.m. but 20 minutes later, he still hadn’t been called and I knew I had to be ready for my husband’s 9:15 p.m. softball game (since I am responsible for the stats).
So at this point I was already tired and then thinking about the additional tiredness I would feel later on, being at a softball game until 10:30 p.m. and not getting home until close to 11 p.m. and having to get up early again today.
I say all this to set it up. It was just one of those moments in time where I did not feel like talking. As I waited for my son to be called, all I wanted to do was escape into the book I had brought along. I didn’t expect him to be talkative because the most I get from him are grunts and an occasional “I don’t know” (I might be slightly exaggerating here).
But guess what? He was in a talkative mood. But to make it even more challenging, he wasn’t in a mood to talk about his day at school or the latest video game. I could have almost handled that. He wanted to talk about some things from my childhood, some difficult things from my childhood. He wanted to delve into some emotions that at any other time, I would have been glad to share. But I was tired…I was worn out…I was not in a talking mood, especially about such personal things.
But I rose above. I don’t know how I did it but I did. I didn’t even let on that I didn’t feel like talking. If he would have sensed that in me, he would have shut down. I knew that I was being given the gift of a moment that I couldn’t let pass by…despite this tired mom.
So while I waited for a dentist appointment that was later than it should have been, I came to realize it was actually right on time. So when the dentist is late, you just never know how that inconvenience can be turned into a blessing.
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