It’s Time to Bubble Wrap My Heart

OK, it’s official. I’ve fallen off my “best mom in the world” pedestal.  Way off. I used to be the recipient of ongoing hugs and multiple “I Love You’s” throughout the day.  But my son is now a teenager, and we seem to be renegotiating our relationship on a daily basis.  It’s clearly time to bubble wrap my heart.

I’m sure this is payback time, as I seem to be re-living the angst of my own growing up years.  I’m nagging my son for this and that, and struggling to find the balance of caring without smothering.  Sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself in him, and my mother’s words come rushing back to me as I smile to myself and shoulder on through what must be quite typical experiences.

My son is introspective and keeps many of his emotions to himself.  Consequently, it’s harder to know what he’s feeling.  By nature he’s a pleaser, but I know that things can be simmering beneath the surface because I’m not able to read him as well as I have in the past.

Our long-standing tradition of taking road trips together, just the two of us, has allowed us to connect on a deeper level – laughing and sharing our love of music, ice cream and hotels with room service.  These times give me the opportunity to spend time alone with him on his terms, and connect in a way that works for him.  And I realize that I need to make more time for these outings before the years pass us by.