So.... say you're sixteen and have a fight with your mom and dad. The end result is the stunning declaration that you are no longer welcome in the home (although maybe not so stunning because this is not the first time). You spend the evening working your after-school job not knowing where you will sleep. Even though you've been through this before, you don't know what you'll do. And I say again... you're sixteen.
I just don't get it. I know I went a few rounds with my own parents back in the day. I'm sure I upset them on more than one occasion, but I don't recall ever being told that I couldn't come home. I don't even pretend to know all the circumstances in this current situation. Everybody's got a side and a story to tell and someone to blame, but can I just reiterate again... sixteen.
And a girl at that.
We all know the world is a scary place, right? I can't imagine being without a home or not knowing where I might spend the night, and I'm a long way from sixteen. I don't know how I would react to finding myself in a strange home with a strange lady (such as myself) who pulls out faded fuzzy pajama pants and a much too big t-shirt and triumphantly produces a never-been-used toothbrush.
I don't get a lot of things in life. I am most certainly at a loss for this. My husband understands all too well; I just shake my head in disbelief. I thought for sure there was a catch to this, maybe a massive misunderstanding or words spoken in haste. The mother in me is just completely dumbfounded. Even our kids are little bit stumped on this one, but they are all very excited about one simple thing: if there's a guest in the house, then a mom making breakfast in the morning is a sure-fire thing.
And that's proof there's hope in any situation.
2 comments:
There was a time my son wasn't listening to anything we told him. We would tell him to stop certain behavior and he would totally ignore us. Finally I gave him a choice: live by our rules or leave. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and many tears were shed. I'm sure people judged me who didn't realize my son made the choice to leave. He was only 17. He had signed up to join the Army. When his girl friend gave birth to his baby, I told him he could come back home for the two weeks he had left before he entered basic training. Sometimes a line has to be drawn.
True enough. Thanks for sharing.
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