It has been almost seven years since my last blog post. To say things have changed would be the world's greatest understatement.
LP is 17. SEVENTEEN. And is preparing to go to college in the fall.
AK is 15. And in a few weeks will take the train to Baltimore by herself to visit a friend and in a few months will go to Europe with a high school class.
They are poised, confident, smart and kind.
They have chosen to take very active roles in a teen youth movement and this has given them incredible leadership opportunities and life experiences. They are often best friends in the best sense (and still occasionally annoy the $h!t out of each other - and us).
Looking back, it was not intentional, but I see that the life lessons the Hoos and I tried to instill were about helping them to be good people, empowered to and capable of making good decisions - or recovering from less good decisions.
And they make me better.
A few years ago, I was telling LP how proud and impressed I was by how she did not care what other people thought of her and stood up for what she believed in. " I wouldn't have done that when I was your age. I am in my 40s and I only have gained that confidence recently."
She looked right back at me and said, " I didn't know you then. I see you now - that is how I see you."
WHAT THE ACTUAL F?! Mind. Blown.
If you are still reading this blog - or getting notifications - I hope this gives you some sense of closure - we are all okay! Better than okay. Thank you for hanging on.
And for those of you about to watch your littles waddle out of the nest - I am confident that the world is going to be better thanks to the people you created.
