Growing Pains

Have you ever noticed that when you look back on your own past, your memory seems to block out the really bad parts and you remember "good times" growing up? It isn't until something jogs your memory that you remember the sometimes very dark and horrible days that would leave you upset and crying. My daughter came home today extremely upset and distraught. In between sobs I got the full story and of course it is boy related. The flip side of this one is, she is the one thinking of breaking things off. I had a walk down heart break memory lane as she told her story to me. I forgot how hard it is to grow up. I think the pain is even worse when you see your children going through it. I got married very young and had children soon after that. The whole time I was raising my girls I would hear people say, "just wait until they become teenagers." I guess on a sub-conscious level I began worrying about this time in their lives. I can honestly say that I have really enjoyed my girls. This teenager thing is not hard. They just need someone to talk to on their level. Someone that relates to them and guides them gently but firmly in the right direction. They don't always do what we want them to do and sometimes they mess up, but you love them, pick them up, and put them back on track. Tonight has been one of the hardest moments so far. Just wanting to jump in a fix everything and make it ok. Make the very real pain she feels go away. I think it is an insult to teens when you say, you're young - you just don't understand yet. They do understand that what they feel hurts. How much more real does it get than that? They just need to be reminded that this won't last forever. The pain will pass. I know that Jesus going to the cross for us was hard. But how much worse was it for God to not intervene, fix it, and take away the pain? As a parent, I can't even wrap my mind around it.