The title of this post is pretty darn optimistic, isn’t it? I feel like a teenager again!! I’m sorry to have tricked you, but it’s probably not what you are expecting.
This morning as I was thinking about my typical day, I realized that I have an awful lot in common with my teenage self. While I often accuse my husband of being my third kid, in actuality it is me that relates to our two teens these days. Here are just a few examples:
My retainer: Although I never had orthodontia as a kid, I more than made up for it as an adult (see my slew of posts about braces and palate expanders!). Now I wear a retainer and I HATE it. It shouldn’t be a big deal because I only have to wear it at night. But I make my kids wear theirs, so I know I need to wear mine or risk getting caught. That would be more embarrassing than hypocritical.
The dermatologist: Now when I take my kids in for their acne appointments, I have to make my own appointment for rosacea. Apparently 43 is a prime age for your skin to freak out and change forever. So add to my nighttime routine extra time for medicated creams and washes that smell like sulfur. And the embarrassment of having my kids see my cry in front of the dermatologist.
Yeah….I’m super hot to my husband…a retainer and skin that smells like rotten eggs. Be jealous, men!
The high school: I spend a LOT of time volunteering at the kids’ school and the same things I didn’t like when I was there 25 years ago happen to me still. I get lost going down the wrong hallway. I try to avoid running into people I don’t like. I get nervous when I have to talk to teachers I don’t know. I avoid being in the hallways during passing periods like I’m afraid someone is going to chase me down and give me a swirly.
Preparing for college: Technically, it’s my daughter that is preparing for college. But I’m doing college visits, reading up on stats, and trying to figure out how to pay for it. I’m comparing dorm food options and bunk beds. All the while trying not to remember how scared I was of all of this when it really was my turn.
I guess the one big difference between being a teenager and being an adult going through teenager issues is that I have perspective. I know my husband will make out with me whether I am wearing a retainer or not. I can look at my skin and figure I just look like I got a little sun that day. At the high school, I can remind myself that I’m really pretty invisible to all of those kids in the hallway unless I’m walking past them with a plate of cookies. And as for college, I know it’s not where you start your journey but where you end up.
Sure…I’d rather my teenage feelings to be because I am a size 10 again and only need to sleep 5 hours a night. But as I look at my own teenagers and all of the feelings that they are having, I need to remember that they don’t have the perspective I have and their issues are big to them.
I think I’ll go eat a Ding Dong and watch an episode of Saved By the Bell!!
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