And it's not through time travel. It's "doing it the third time around" with grandchildren!
My real teenage years were fun! But not for my parents, because I was a real hellion. I wasn't into drugs or sexually active, but I did run away from home for a long time and probably hastened my parents' deaths in many ways. It was 1965, you see, and Haight Ashbury was just beginning, so OF COURSE I needed to climb out my window and go immediately. The narcissism of teenager-hood prevented me from feeling or understanding how awful this would be to the people who were desperately trying to raise me!
Having my first child at 20 -- after marrying at 18 -- also seemed like a good idea at the time! But it was a child raising children, and God knows, I made more than my share of mistakes. But being a young, hip mom, I thought MY teens would not go through the teenage rebellion stage because I was so cool. What a joke! They rebelled in all sorts of fun ways, ensuring that my hair would turn gray from worry. It was hard and stressful, but today they are wonderful, mature, great adults who have been terrific parents to their own children!
Which bring me to the delicious icing on the cake: Grandchildren! It is all the love and not as much worry! Because each and every one of them (we have 9 now) are perfect, beautiful, brilliant, talented...I could go on and on. They are the delight of my life. And Paisley Nicole Scott, the third oldest, turns 18 on Sunday! And I'm leaving early Wednesday morning to fly down to SoCal to help her celebrate.
It seems like yesterday when she was born. I remember her father and I trying to wrangle the brand-new car seat into the car to bring her home from the hospital. I also remember those colicky first months when her parents were pulling their hair out and she would only fall asleep on someone's chest. Her colic was legendary, as were her tantrums when she got into the 2's.
You might expect she would have blossomed into a boisterous child, but no. To this day she is quite shy and reserved, and doesn't even have a driver's license. She's growing up in a world far different than I did, and I have no doubt that she will become a wonderful, responsible adult! We'll do some shopping, and probably make a special dinner together.
When I was going through my cancer treatment -- when Paisley was 2 -- my doctor asked me what I had to look forward to in the distant future. He said to think of something a couple decades away to focus on as I fought, literally, for my life. I told him, and I remember this as though it were yesterday, too, that I wanted to dance at Paisley's wedding. That seemed so far off when she was a toddler, but now, as she thinks about college, it is no longer the distant future.
Now that I'm in my 60s and about to collect Social Security (yikes!) I find I reflect on the time passed, and I'm aware that more of my life is behind me than ahead of me. I think about the generations, and how times have changed, but people have remained constant. My family is still there, although I am now the matriarch; the oldest of the living.
Because no matter what we do -- or don't do -- time marches on. Dixiefix will be on hiatus for a week, unless I snag a computer while I'm down south. See you back here around January 20th.
Have fun in HB! I too can't believe Paisley is 18. Can't believe Ashton is 18, can't believe Ryan gets his permit in 30 days, can't believe you're getting social security soon...time is going by so fast! Now I get it why people leave their Christmas decorations up all year long. Never understood that when I was younger but I totally get it now!
Posted by: Kymry | January 13, 2010 at 02:43 PM
WOW!!
how do [we} love thee...
Thank you for such wonderful thoughts that, I am sure, the great majority of us share but need a Dixie to express.
Enjoy the wonderful time with your beautiful family.
Hurry home!
Tom
Posted by: Tom O'Toole | January 12, 2010 at 09:33 PM