Do Over's...

I was talking to my daughter the other day about high school. She knows I wasn't the jock athlete, but I was into dancing and ballet. Mr. D was on all the All-Star county teams for every sport and Athlete of the Year 2 years in a row, and has records still standing at the school 20+ years later. Sports were his life. Quite a difference, but I feel like we compliment each other well. Mr. D was the rule follower, I broke the rules if I KNEW I wouldn't get caught. Something changed my sophomore year though and I joined the church. Got off track my sr. year and was wild for about a year and half, got my act together and came back to church. Six months later I met Mr. D just off his mission. My experiences have taught me a lot about myself, I know my mistakes were for my own good and I have learned from them. But those aren't really the things I want to "do over". My "do overs" include:



Being a better friend, don't sweat the small stuff, get better grades, save money(don't spend so much on music(vinyl records? what are those?) & packages of Swedish Fish or Jelly Bellies, eat better, develop better eating and healthy habits, wear good shoes, tell my friends I loved them(my daughter tells all of her friends "I love you" when they leave school, and they say it back, it's a competition to say it first), keep in touch with friends who move or I don't hang out with anymore, share my goals more with people who will support them, don't dress too trendy(even though it is hysterical to go back and look at pictures), tell my teachers thank you, tell my parents thank you, get involved in service organizations, master the Spanish language, learn to read music, write in my journal, start a tradition, master a sport or try as many kinds as possible, don't worry about boys so much, take TONS of pictures, and laugh at myself.

I know a lot of parents are scared to death of teenagers. I adore my dd and my pre-teen son. He reminds me often that he's a "pre-teen". He can't wait to take on more responsibilities and get more freedoms. Mermaid HATES the catty back biting that happens, and maybe that's why she's such a popular kid. Her friends know she will won't get involved in back stabbing, name calling, or gossip. She just simply walks away. I wish I had done that! How much easier school would have been. I don't know what I did to get the kids I have. They are SO different than I was/am. They are so easy going and laid back. They're truly a joy to be around. And I can't wait to have more adult conversations with them. They surprise me with deep thoughts and I have to just cry (happy tears) because I'm just amazed. I owe a lot of that to the youth programs at church and the leaders, they talk about their teachers like they're family. I must have done something right to get these amazing creatures. I guess I really don't need any "do overs" because it has all turned out just right.