TROUBLE

About my son. A thirteen and then something young man who has hit a few rough patches lately.

Dear Son,

You are now thirteen and some.
More manly.
A deep voice.
A new body with more angles.
Big Muscles.
Bad Attitude.
Bad Choices.

Bigger bad choices.

TROUBLE

Who are you young man?
Where did my little boy go?
Who stands before me with that deep voice demanding my respect so disrespectfully?

How much do I love you?

How much do I adore you?

You say less than before.

?

I say NO!

I love you . . .
Different than before.
More than before.


     Because you are different than before
     and more than before.

And that is exactly how I love you now.  
I love you
Deeper.  And more.  And differently.

TROUBLE

Trouble is what you get into.
Trouble is What you got into.
Trouble is What you got.

Baaaaaad choices.
Strong consequences.

TROUBLE

Yep.
Just like your mom,
Just like your dad,
and just like anyone who has ever been thirteen and some.


But son know this.
Even though I will take you to task for your TROUBLE,
and
Even though I will make you accept CONSEQUENCES,
and
Even though I expect your RESPECT when you do,


Please know that:

I KNOW you.  
I KNOW who you are.
--
I SEE you.
I SEE who you are.  
--
I UNDERSTAND you.
I UNDERSTAND Who you are.

And because of this, I do not fear for you.
Rather,

I trust you.
In spite of . . .

TROUBLE

See under this new rough, edgy, bad choice makin’, troubled exterior of this newer version of you...

Is still the person who has always been YOU.
Who I believe in
COMPLETELY and without reservation.
With all of my heart.

It is the YOU who always comes back to himself
even after the biggest mistakes.

Trust me.
I someone's MOM.  And I know stuff.

so...

I know you are

TROUBLE

But I know too that you are

NOBLE

And I know that your choices are only temporary stopping places
..... on your way home.


I believe in you son.
I believe in you.

Love always,
Mom

Author's Note

Pulled from my note to Emma Joy on her review: Truth is times with a teen are often challenging and very difficult. A LOT! Always expected they would be. But still, being a mother is my most noble calling. One I believe I was born for. Ours is journey I am so glad I decided to undertake. My child makes my life richer. Harder. Scarier. Frighteningly so. But still, I am so so much richer and better for learning to know my son.

Reviews

[lee von cleef]

A son,a mother,the noble two.The daughter needs to say NO, from the gut with a voice
that draws a line, in the mind of man or boy. The boy ,the man, needs to hear,listen,to himself ,But even deeper he needs to feel the love of his mother ,a aching weight in his heart that should be" home" a center of life to him.Tough to set boundaries,accountability, respect,empathy,perspective, Both give and receive.You made a believer out of me.

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

Lee - this is a re-write of "The Mom's Manual to Teen Boys. Thank you. For the validation of what I intuit his needs to be. Has always served me in the past and when intuition fails me - there is always something gumming up the works. Got the gum out! Working toward raising a man - who has a mom who believes in him totally!

[Ken Simm.]

Ah the trouble with ages. We have all been there, done that and bought the t shirt. From one side at least. Some of us have been there from both sides and understand or not as the case may be. You obviously not only understand but empathise which is about as tricky as it gets and as loving as it gets.
One day, we say, one day he will use what he learned today and remember. Is that not why we do it? To keep the link of love going beyond us.

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

Ken - said even better than I tried it up there. Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for reminding me that the future is out there waiting for us. And it won't always be like today. I know this. I forget this. You remind me of this. Thank you!

[Ken Simm.]

Better I don't think so. I've never been a Mother.

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

Ken - that is where you say "thank you" :)

[Ken Simm.]

Thank you.

[Forest Green]

In the grand scheme of things nothing is grander.

Moms have the emotional micronutrients to help the sapling grow strong and withstand the buffeting winds of life.

Nice poem and quite genuine...which is what really matters.

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

Thank you much for the kindly comments. Nothing less but what you wrote is what I would expect from someone who gets the whole Mom/Son thing. Thanks!

[emmajoy]

BEAUTIFUL, MAGNIFICENT and all other such words.

The feeling behind this is just incredible. it drips sincerity. He's a very lucky young man and you're obviously the luckiest woman on earth - most of the time!

I want one!

[Shelley Holt-Lowrey]

Ohhhh Emma. Thank you so much for your gentle and loving words. Exactly. Most of the time.

Times are difficult and I knew they would be. But still, the most noble calling ever... and a journey I am so glad I decided to take. He makes my life richer. Harder. Scarier. But so so much richer. Thank you! (also - edited a bit)