Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Surprises

My daughter is full of surprises!

Christmas 2006: Her gift to me was a grandchild. Mind you, it wasn't something I asked for or wanted from my 16-year-old but she gave it to me anyway.

Christmas 2007: Her gift to me was an ATTITUDE. She was still upset over the fact that I was upset overher decision to keep her baby. I tried desperately to push adoption as the best alternative. She couldn't see that I was thinking of the best interest of the child of an unwed teen.

So here we are Christmas 2008. After spending a year of repairing our feelings of hurt and anger, my daughter decided to give me a series of gifts by making her MESS -- her MESSAGE.

1) She graduated from high school ON TIME. She pulled it off even after discovering five months before graduation that she was one Math credit short and had to re-arrange her whole schedule in order to make up the Math class. She did all of this while holding down a part-time job.

2) She was determined to go to college and did what was necessary to make it happen.

3) She potty trained her son. I told her if she expected me to keep him while she was away, I wasn't going to be changing dirty diapers. Jarod was potty trained at 18-months.

The best gift of all---

She made the Dean's List during her first semester at North Carolina A&T University.

There is a blessing in every storm.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, you've got an amazing kid. She really sounds like she's pulling it together. Happy holidays to you and your family!

Anonymous said...

I'll bet your SOOO happy she never gave up that little cutie for adoption, both your daughter and your adorable grandson have given you gifts beyond measure!

Have a blessed weekend, may the Christmas Spirit keep things Merry into and through the coming year!

Claudia

Anonymous said...

I think relationships between mothers and daughters are both wonderfully deep and achingly complex. The lines are blurred by great love and unspoken expectations that can sometimes go awry.
It sounds as if you and your daughter have survived a difficult time and come out on the other side with even stronger feelings for one another. She's achieved her goals despite major obstacles and this, in no small part, she owes to her deeply loving mother. I wish you both much happiness in the coming year.

Unknown said...

She gave you an excellent gift! I know you are proud of her!

Anonymous said...

It's a wonderful life! :)
Best wishes for the new year as well Beverly.

Betty Lynch said...

Janie has the determination of her mother. I'm so glad everything is working out.

Blessings,

Betty

Anonymous said...

There are advantages to making our mistakes or bad choices early in life. We still have a chance to fix them or turn them around.

I'm proud of Janie and you!

Anonymous said...

Heck! I'm proud of her and she's not even mine.

Melodieann Whiteley said...

Wow! You have an amazing daughter! And she has an awesome mother! What a Christmas present she has given you - a testimony to your faith in her and your support. How wonderful to see that you have both come through this with an even stronger relationship than before. You both have great reason to be proud. Now you just need to share your success with others in similar positions (do I see a book here - a collaboration between mom and daughter?).

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