I regret not having had more time with my kids when they were growing up. Tina Turner
Meditation: I remember how busy my parents were when the four of us children were growing up. A parsonage can be a very hectic place. And we weren’t trouble makers, so they often did not take the time to notice what we were going through as teenagers. And time flew…Later on in her seventies, looking back, my mother said that those years had been the happiest of her life.
Today my 13-year-old twin daughters thanked me for driving them and their friends around on my day off. I enjoy my role as parent of teenagers despite the prejudice that society has against teenagers as being “difficult”. I give the girls space while being available, I pay attention without intruding. I am fascinated watching them prepare to live their own life. It is exciting to see them start practicing all the things they will need to learn to live on their own. At the same time I am mindful that looking back these years will likely be titled “the happiest years of my life”. And so, I might as well know it now. I might as well savor every moment and not miss the here and now. As time flies…
Prayer: Parent God, I am deeply grateful for the privilege of being a parent of teenagers. Thank you that I learned from the generation before me that nothing should get in the way and that nothing is more important than quality time with my growing children. Thank you for allowing me to savor these days and years with them still living at home. Amen
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring. Isaiah 44:3
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