Nikki
Today I become a mom to a 13-year old. That’s huge! I’ve never been a mom to any teenager before but I still remember when I was that age. The insecurities I felt, the pressures of fitting in, the heartbreaks - I know that Nikki will be in for a roller coaster ride. As much as she’s shrieking with excitement over her very first cellphone and of breaking away from her “childhood” as she puts it, and officially becoming a teenager, I, on the other hand, am worried sick that she’s a teenager now.
Ever since I had kids, my prayer was always the same. “Lord, please don’t let anything happen to my kids.” And then I read somewhere that it’s a totally selfish thing to ask for your kids. How can you not let anything happen to them? Isn’t that depriving them of things that will make them whole persons? If your kids will stay in a safe haven, how will that build their character?
And so I’ve revised my prayer, so that now I ask: Lord, please give my children the wisdom to make the right choices and strength of character to overcome the challenges that they are bound to face. Let me be the kind of mother they need at each point in their lives - a strong disciplinarian when they need an iron fist, a warm and loving one when they need to cry their hearts away over an unrequited love, a cheerleader and a coach when they achieve major accomplishments and important milestones. Most of all, let me be a mother that will grow with them accordingly.
Nikki is 13 today. I am proud of the young lady she’s become. I may not tell her how proud I am of the little and big things she’s accomplished because I fear that she’ll become complacent and stop pushing herself to do more and aim higher. But I am truly proud. Happy birthday darling!
