Teens

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What is the most important lesson to be learned during those terrible teens? In passing, there are some thoughts I want to share with you. Years ago when I was your age, I remember…

Don’t you hate stories that begin like that? You may be thinking, uh oh, now I’m in for a story that I’ve heard a hundred times before. I think I know the lesson by now but thinking about it, everybody older than me, may need to hear it again. So I guess it’s important. One more time…

At some point in your life, those terrible teens will be a silent memory. Take it from me; at fifty they don’t seem so terrible. What’s it like to be that age? You can’t even imagine it? Neither could I. But you don’t have to. You’ll find out soon enough.

This is an important time in your life and you need to set your priorities soon. It’s what you do right now, that is important. Youth has its advantages, especially when you’re older. But you won’t see that until you are. Now it feels like everyone picks on you and they think you’re too young to understand anything. But it’s precisely because I do understand that I want to share with you some terrible secrets about growing up. It seems to take forever and then suddenly you realize you’re there and you’re wondering what happened? Is that all there really is? Those terrible teens are gone and you just feel alone. No more being the life of the party or the center of attention. Now you’re responsible for everything in your life. If you mess up, you have no one to blame but yourself. That’s too much already! But just relax…

Life is still wonderful and it’s a relief not to be a kid anymore. But now, those terrible teens remind you of a younger time when you didn’t have to do all that much…just enjoy life. You’ll never remember those years in the most exact way. They may seem better than they were or worse. Memories are like shadows in time. They can be scary or even funny when held up to the light. And you should always want to remember. They were the best times and the worst,

Family is what will get you through…personal family and God’s family. We are all family to each other. This may be the most important thing I have to share with you. Since this is a two way conversation, what do you have to tell me? That your time is being wasted by being in school? By stupid chores? By family always wanting you to be around? I agree, you may be wasting your time but they’re not.

It’s up to you to do all these things and still have time for yourself. Practice this because your time gets much tighter when you’re out in the world and you can’t run home, at the first difficult thing that comes along. And being alone is still a precious commodity. That doesn’t change. Am I making it all sound too grim and not much fun? I’m sorry but you have to be realistic. Times are going to change and you’re going to change.

From past experience I can say (and this is not going to be one of those examples where I walked twenty miles in the snow to get to school) you never seem to be prepared for these changes. Not wanting to sound preachy, I still must repeat that Family gives you the structure you need to organize your life later. And later will be here, soon.


Written Anita Thomas

Copyright 2004

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