Teenager laments

Since I have been a mother for, gulp, 24 years now, this parenting thing should be a piece of cake right? Nope, no way, uh uh. I just still cannot fathom how this precious little angel that once thought that I was a super hero, super star and best friend all rolled into one, can now see me as their arch-nemesis. When my children become that certain age of know-it-all-edness, I soon found myself as a disciplinarian turned police officer, turned prison guard when grounding went into effect, to finally be followed by parole officer. Gone were the years of friendship, giggles and time spent together, at least willingly. I seem to have become a woman that knows nothing and who has never known what it's like to......insert one of the following.....fall in love, be a teenager, get in trouble, fight with a friend, etc. I seem to have dropped here into my daughter's world as a middle age woman with no life experience of my own, at least in her eyes. Now I remember when I was first a mother and I knew, absolutely knew without a doubt, that this would never happen to me and my children. They would always love me, we would have eternal love and trust for one another, and the world would be right. I have learned that these dreams that we start with often skid face first into a nightmare once a child hits those double digits and continues for a while longer. I remember when my mom told me years ago that if I didn't kill my children during teenager years, that I would love them again once they were grown. I scoffed then. Now? Ah, once again a mother's wisdom holds true. If you don't believe me, just ask a teenager. They know everything. Till next time......