This kid right here…
He thinks he knows better than me.
I know… Typical teenage mentality.
But the truth is, I’m starting to believe him.
You see, I’m his mother. And mother knows best, right?
Since he was born, I knew what best to feed him.
How best to dress him.
How best to teach him.
How best to protect him.
How best to make him comfortable.
How best to make him happy.
How best to make him excel and grow.
And grow, he did.
Just like I hoped he would.
But then suddenly, he wasn’t eating what I thought was best.
He wasn’t dressing how I thought was best.
He was learning in a way I never learned.
Finding protection and comfort in ways I wasn’t used to.
And the things that made him happy to excel… well they weren’t by my idea of what was best anymore.
I still know best about a lot of things. Veggies, seatbelts, and winter jackets (for goodness sake!).
But I’m learning that he actually does know what’s best for himself.
While I loved watching him pitch and I thought that was what was best for him, he knew he was a better catcher. And he’s killing it in that role.
When I held on to the idea of him being college-bound and thought it was best for him, he knew better. He enrolled in a trade school, opting to head straight into the field. And now his future is looking brighter than I ever thought.
While I adored his hometown friends, thought it was best that he stuck with just hanging with kids and families we were close to, he knew better. While he still spends time with them, he’s also decided to venture outside of our borders to meet some really great friends.
As his mother, I thought keeping him close to my ideals was best. And never even considered that he might know better.
Sure, I’ve build this nest. A place where I know how best to nurture him.
But I’ve got to remember the purpose.
I’ve got to remember the end goal.
It’s not to keep him in the safe spaces I’ve created.
It’s giving him a space to grow, a place to gain confidence, a place to spread his wings… and eventually letting him fly.
I’ll still keep faith that my teachings will stay close to his heart, but I’m going to trust his experience and his gut more than anything else.
And truth be told, I’m starting to think it’s ok if I allow this kid to think he knows better.
Because maybe he does ♥️
