Monday, September 1, 2008

Dear God...

"God is great, god is good, please take care of my family
AND
I wish I may I wish I might...god I wish I was a teenager."


This was my daughters prayer one night. Yes, it was a mix of elements but it was sincere. My daughter, who is only 6 is counting the moments until she is a teenager - I on the other hand am in NO HURRY!

I look back on my own awkward teenage years and think "God, I am so glad I survived them and I would NEVER want to go back." However I remember being a child and being told I couldn't do something by my parents and thinking to myself, "when I'm a teenager, I'll do whatever I want to." But, it was never that simple.

I'll admit there was something appealing about the prospect of being older when I was a child, but I failed to realize the 'responsibility' aspect of it. All I saw was freedom-I never once saw the "you must earn the right" to be able to do what it is I was after - suffice it to say, when I reached those years, I was quickly made aware.

I giggle to myself now, as I listen to my 6 year old daughter, urgently pray at night for god to make her a teenager while Mom urgently begs him to not let her grow up so fast. I try to explain to her to enjoy this time because it goes by far to quickly and those years of being a teenager are awkward and difficult, but she doesn't see this. She only sees her freedom.

If you could go back to your teenage years, what advice would you give to yourself?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's crazy how when you're 16 you think that the world is on your shoulders... then when you grow up you realize exactly how easy and carefree things were.

And your daughter's prayer cracked me up. Why does she want to be a teenager so bad? To drive?

Jaysey said...

LOL! One of the ironies of life: when you're young, you want to be older; when you get older, you just wish you could be younger. ;-)

Aleta said...

What would I say to myself if I could go back in time? I'd say to believe in myself more and have the confidence to enjoy life and that eventually, over time, I'd find the love of my life and not to settle until I find him *smiles*... that life is all about the living and to make the best of what is there. It's all about the attitude. I wouldn't go back to live those years. I'm happy where I am. Hurricane and all!

Anonymous said...

I would tell myself to take more risks, and stop obsessing about something stupid like body image. For sure.