Walking along Nassau Street, I was transfixed by the rich depth of color of the blue sky and the brick red buildings which played off of one another with striking clarity and warmth. Looking around, everything seemed vibrant, vivid, and bold. I found myself glancing at others to see if they were noticing this incredible palette. As I caught a glimpse of my reflection entering the bank, I realized that I was wearing glasses with transition lenses.
As we welcome all that comes with spring – blue skies, flowering trees, seasonal allergies, and rainstorms that startle you at 3 a.m., it occurs to me that transitions often happen without one’s conscious realization. One moment, you’re feeling perfectly healthy, and the next, you’re wondering why you’re randomly sneezing. Or, you have an image of your child welcoming you home with an all-encompassing hug, but when you greet her, she physically pushes you away.
Raising a child is like weathering the change of seasons. You know that the next stage is right around the corner, but you don’t give it much thought. As a parent of a teen, it’s clear to me that no one is exempt from some perceived cracks in the foundation. With titles in our collection like “A Survival Guide to Parenting Teens,” “The Angst of Adolescence: How to Parent Your Teen (and live to laugh about it),” “The Grown-Up Guide to Teenage Humans,” and “My Teenage Werewolf: A Mother, a Daughter, a Journey Through the Thicket of Adolescence,” it’s comforting to know that you, alone, have not lost your mind.
Despite the near-daily challenges of remaining a steadying force in your teen’s life, remembering that we are all seeing the world through different lenses helps us be more empathetic. The push and pull of becoming an adult is not easy for teens or parents, but it’s wise to remember to keep your sense of humor; after all, summer is right around the corner.
Photo by Simon Rae on Unsplash