We never stop worrying about our kids. Ever. Not for a day and not for a night's sleep.

Soon, (sooner than I'd like) my son will be 18 years old. His birthday is just six short months away and I am incredulous as to how we arrived at this date so quickly. He is a wonderful young man, but 18? . . . No. Is he ready to be 18? Have I prepared him well enough? I worry is that I've missed something; some critical lesson or piece of advice. I've done all I know of and am prepared to do more, but I still worry that my efforts won't be enough - good enough - thorough enough.

Let's see . . . I've got him on advocacy lists - just in case he needs the support because after all . . . who doesn't benefit from a little bit of kind and or sincere support? I don't know a single soul who can't use some at some point.
I've started the legal processes that will enable him to be the strong, self-sufficient adult that I know he will be - but when he's ready. For a toolkit of your own for your child go to:Transition Toolkit

 

I am in court almost as I speak attempting to have child support for him continued beyond his matriculation date and paid into a Special Needs Trust on his behalf. I want his Father to begin paying his son instead of me. His Father is never going to go for it, but how can I not try? My lawyer believes me insane, but how would I look my son in the eye later - when he needs help . . . support, and say, "I thought of that, but I didn't make the effort. It (you) weren't worth it." I have to try.

I worry about him. I worry about his brother for completely different reasons. Like, "Did I spend so much energy worrying about one that I didn't pay enough mind to the other?"  Between the two of them, my concern is non-stop. I suppose that is what being a parent is.
Knowing that I won't always be there with a pack of items he will need throughout the day. Teaching him to pack that bag on his own.

Later I may realize that I got it wrong, but at least I will have tried my hardest, my best and with everything I've got while simultaneously attempting to leave them both responsible for their lives in growing proportion as they mature into adults. How can that be bad, right?

Ups and Downs

If you never knew it until this day; If somehow you have gotten this far without being brutally and glaringly told; If you have been lucky enough to have avoided one side . . . Let me tell you.

Life is full of Ups and Downs.

We all have them. We spill our coffee and ruin a brand new blouse doing it only later to find a $50 bill just lying there and nobody in sight - silently sitting in with the packs of gum at the gas station. Money arrives in the mail from a rebate we sent in so long ago that we had forgotten just about the same time we drive over a nail in the alley and need a new tire. Some people call it Karma. It's just the way life is - for most of us.

This week is TAKS week. My son is taking three this year. All the important ones. Those that he will need to do well on to graduate. He is nervous about them - and rightly so. They are a big deal and the school has made kids anxious about them with years of test-taking practice. Despite that he claims he isn't nervous, I know he is. He is anxious and suffering from a severe self-confidence drought.
Thank goodness for that Karma-thing!

Not two days ago my son received a phone call from someone who worked for a National company in his field of interest who wanted to interview him about the work he does creating his weather blog; Dallas Storm Watch. This gentleman who called wanted my son to fly out to his location and meet with him. Unfortunately, my son will be in 5th period at High School during that time and cannot attend. The caller could not have known that he was contacting a teenager.

 

Click here to go to the StormWatchDallas website

How terrific is that? My son's weather page must be so professional that the caller thought that he was calling a work-at-home adult for an interview!!

Good job son!!! I am so proud of you!

Honestly, I would fly out there with him if he wanted to go, but my son isn't keen on flying, so he has arranged a Skype interview instead. Another stroke of genius! I certainly wouldn't have come up with that solution. I just don't think that way. Thankfully, he does.
Is there anything better than national, unsolicited, positive attention when someone is feeling like he just might be a failure?

I don't think so.

I am, once again, so proud of him! He's gotten the recognition of someone who might really be able to tell him precisely how talented he is purely based on his knowledge and perseverance alone. And, he's gained this recognition just at the moment his fragile ego most needs a gentle boost.

It's fabulous!! And I am so happy for him.

I can't wait to hear how the interview goes. At first, he won't tell me because he hates recognition. He's so embarrassed by his own fantastic-ness factor.

Eventually he will tell me how the interview went and provide me a copy of the article the gentleman will write. Until then and even if he doesn't remember - I know that I'm not the only one who is impressed by him.