DEFEAT CF

Raising teenage girls is not for the faint of heart. Gone are the heartwarming moments of a chubby hand reaching up for mine, a warm body crawling into my lap for a cuddle, or glee-filled faces popping out the door each time I pull into the garage. Instead of being revered as numero uno, I have officially been relegated to the bottom rung.

While I am usually able to let the comments about how embarrassing, unhip, boring, and "cringy" I am bounce right off, there was one particular day the girls' words left me wounded. I excused myself, curled up on my bed, and tried to remember if there was ever a time I had felt more persecuted.

As I questioned my worth, I started thinking about the things I like about myself. I thought of all the amazing people I have in my life who love and support me. Ultimately, I realized despite what the girls think of me, I am who God made me.

Then clarity struck. The words the girls bring home to me after spending the day with friends, teachers, and coaches are merely a reflection of how they feel about themselves. While I found the strength to be who I am in a world that desperately tried to change me, the girls are still on their own terrifying yet beautiful journey to find self-love, self-respect, and self-worth.

I have so much more to learn. Please pass me the teen parenting handbook!