I think one of the fundamental challenges of being a parent is knowing when to guide, when to hold and how much to trust. This is most challenging when they are teenagers. It is risky business.
I am so thankful to find that Ethan's wisdom about how strongly to work towards being himself is paying off and shining through. He has always been wonderful, even when he was in the middle of the rough part of being a teenager. And he is indeed such a wonderful young man. I'd like to share some stories about him with you.
My stories begin with one that happened earlier about a week ago. There had been a decent snow storm and the streets were littered with several types of snow - sloppy and wet, rocky ice segments and the beautiful, fluffy stuff. Ethan and I were on our way to drop my car off at the repair shop. He was in his car right behind me. I was cruising down the road in the middle of the evening when I noticed flashing tail lights at a curious angle. As I approached them, I could see that a car was in one of the deep ditches on the side of the road. I thought about stopping, but continued on as I did not have my phone. I felt a tinge of guilt. At that same time I realized that my son's tail lights were no longer in my rear view mirror. I knew then that he had stopped to check on them. That is just the kind of man he is. He made sure that no one was trapped in the car and then checked with the closest neighbor to find out if he should call the police. He stayed long enough to be sure that everything would be okay. On the way back home we waited and watched as the car was pulled out and the people were on their way home. It was gratifying.
This was not an isolated situation. This past summer Ethan and a friend were down town when Ethan spied a vagrant having a seizure by the side of the road. Another man was standing near the woman having the seizure, looking confused. Ethan went over to offer help. The man's response was vulgar and rude. They did not want help. However, Ethan knew that help was needed so he crossed the street and called for help. Another vagrant approached Ethan and thanked him, saying something like, "I thank you for offering help. Sometimes people are stubborn and won't accept the help they need." Ethan stayed until medical help arrived. It made him late to his event, but that was not as important as making sure that a woman he did not even know would be okay.
On an entirely different note, my boy has been spending a lot of his free time down at the state capital taking in discussions about proposed bills. He is very interested in the outcome of a few of the proposed bills. He has spent many a day down there. In fact, he is down in the Senate chambers as I write this. He has become very interested in the way our system of government works. He has learned a lot about communication and persuasion. He has also met a number of interesting people. I am thankful that he does not take our Bill of Rights for granted. I am thankful that he is taking an active part in trying to keep as many of our freedoms as possible.
I am a thankful for my son and the wonderful young man he is.
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Here's what we had for dinner last night. We have not been great about eating better lately as my job has been really stressful. My family is much happier when I am cooking dinner each night. This one will be on the keeper list:
Sweet Potato Tacos
via: My Big, Red Kitchen
1-2 pounds Taco Meat (ground beef with taco seasoning)
Sweet Potatoes (baked at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until soft)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Mango Salsa
Other optional toppings:
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Regular Salsa
Tabasco Sauce
Split open the sweet potatoes. Top with taco meat, then shredded cheese and mango salsa.
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