LIVING WITH MY TEEN

 Living with my teen is much like living with my cat. She is around on her terms, and needs me very little, except to be fed and sheltered

Yesterday, we went for a walk to the local Walmart. It was a cold walk, and we both walked quickly to keep warm. Rebecca walked faster than me, but slowed down if I asked. I needed the exercise, and she needed me to buy her tiny canvases for her year end works of art that she will give away to some who deserve it, and others who will trash it, unable to see her passion and value.

On the way home, we were cold and crossing the wind when I realized that a low curb had collected a few flakes of snow. Rebecca thought it was paint, but, as we walked, she noticed too that the cracks in the pavement were filled with white. As we waited for the light to turn, we could see the wind blowing a thin layer of snow in that lazy pattern that so often we chase on the highway in winter, when the air is dry and the weather is cold. 

In that instant, the cold was secondary, and the barriers between us fell. It was snowing, and it make the cold worthwhile. It elevated our spirits, and we ran across the street, excited by the change of season for the first time since the weather cooled.

Tonight, I fell the same thrill, with the moonshine spilling onto my bed. No other man made light can fall in through the window from such a height. I seek the moon like our hearts sought the snow. It is wonderful to be warm, but how wonderful to be connected to nature.