Unconditional Love

Whoever was praying for more energy for me today...it worked!  Thank you!  I felt much better today and went for a workout tonight.

When I got home I found that my daughter's first set of senior pictures was posted for our review.  They're beautiful.  She is such a joy in our lives.

It made me think back to when I was her age.  I wasn't such a joy for my parents.  In fact, I recently found a picture of the first day of my senior year.  I look like I was mad at the world.  It was best if you just agreed with me and stayed out of my way.

I often say now, "I wish a knew now everything I thought that I knew back then."  You see, I was certain that I knew it all.

However, I'm not sure if I knew yet on that day that I was pregnant...but my hunch is that I did.

Don't the proud fall hard.

Over the next few years I cried more tears than any 17, 18, or 19 year-old should be allowed to cry.  I begged God for a redo.  Not that I didn't love my son...because I did and I do!  But there were so many painful lessons that I learned that I simply had no business learning at that age.

My parents were (and still are) amazing and loving people.  They didn't deserve all of the grief that I gave them.  They didn't do a thing to cause me to be such a teenage turd.

If you have a child who is putting you through the ringer right now, my best advice is:  Love them through it.

Yep...that's it.  Just love them every day no matter how badly they disappoint you (and they will) and how terribly they hurt you (because they might).  Don't damage that relationship that is so important.  Even if they lose everything else in the world, don't let them lose you.  And, don't blame yourself for their failures and their pain.

Unconditional love.  Give it!

And receive it!