Who needs a mom anyway?  Once kids hit the teen years, they’re pretty independent.  They have their own friends, activities and school to keep them busy.  They don’t need a parent around anymore, right?

      Wrong!  I think teens need their moms even more in this phase.  They have peer pressure, new challenges and different value systems to combat than those at home.  They need to know that mom and dad are both backing them up.  Our teens may never say so, but they still need us.

      My daughter looked so vulnerable after having two teeth pulled yesterday.  It softened my heart and reminded me that this time is going by so fast.  Wasn’t it just a few days ago that we were having tea parties and dressing up doll babies together? 

Dale Hanson Bourke says,

 “I’m getting to the place in life where I realize some of the most important things have no measure.  To try to quantify them is to lose some of the mystery.  Study a butterfly too long and he’ll fly away.  Study your mothering techniques too closely, and they’ll become stilted and artificial.  Still, I search for assurance in my children’s faces.  Sometimes I find it.  Other times, I fear I have failed miserably. 

            Part of the curse of motherhood is never knowing if you’re doing a good job.  But part of the joy is realizing no one’s really keeping score.  Those hugs and kisses aren’t being tallied.  But neither are the harsh words over forgotten manners.  There’s no cheating and no extra credit.

            Fortunately, as I’m trying to be a good mother, I have a great Father to lean on.  Some days I call out to Him in fear.  Other days I thank Him for my blessings.  Mostly I tell Him, “I think I’m beginning to understand now.”  For as I watch my children going their own ways, I realize how hard it is for my heavenly Father, even in His perfection, to let us grow up.”

Taken from Everyday Miracles:  Holy Moments in a Mother’s Day  (pp. 135-136)