I love this age, too…..
“They’re growing up too fast!” “Time please slow down!” As parents of teens, I find myself saying or thinking this daily. I don’t like to think how quickly I will have an empty nest and I can’t imagine how quiet or dull our house will be when our kids move on to college and beyond (ok, sometimes I do like to imagine the quiet part!). My heart aches when I think about them not being here under the same roof as me and just like any other parent, there are times when I’d like to stop the clock or better yet, turn back time to when they were babies or toddlers. But at ages 12 and 15, there is something so intriguing and inspiring about the two people that my children are becoming. Yesterday, I was preparing for an important meeting; I was home alone and I kept thinking “I sure wish L was here.” Since my daughter was very young, she has been my “helper” when getting ready. She likes to pick out my makeup, my jewelry and always, always, my shoes (after wearing them around for a while, of course).
Zipping me into yet another dress. Not sure how I would get dressed most of the time without her help! 
5 years old, playing dress up in my Derby hat and dress. She always looks so much cuter than I do!
She’s been telling me since she was about three, “Mommy, I am a great zipper!” as she zips me into dresses. And she is. If ever there were an award for the best zipper-er, she would win! But as she is growing and evolving into her own personality, with her own set of unique thoughts and opinions, she has become more than my stylist and assistant. She’s become my cheerleader, just as much as I’ve always been hers. I am realizing more and more every day just how much I value her thoughts and opinions and how much I look to her for her take on things. You see, I wanted her nearby yesterday not for her zippering abilities but for her calming presence. I needed her to make me laugh and relax me. And as I realized this, I thought just how incredible it is that they are growing into themselves and how I love to talk to them and hear their perspective. Each of them are developing ideas independent of mine and that’s a beautiful thing. While I wouldn’t mind going back about ten years with them, just so I could pick them up and hold them close to me; this stage is just as precious and remarkable. Each day, I get a bigger and better glimpse of who they are. I have front row seats to watch the greatest stories unfold as they mature. It’s like I get to open the best Mother’s Day gift every single day. So while I may not completely stop wishing time would slow down, I am savoring this stage of their lives so very much and am vowing to myself to appreciate the present moments we share and stop wishing for something that’s never going to happen!
