time flies, part XII

How many of you remember (perhaps painfully) the awkward years?  Those

junior high/middle school years, where you felt like you didn't say the right

thing, wear the right thing, do the right thing?  (well, I do occasionally step

back in time and feel like that now, at 47...)


My dear sweet Charlie has hit them, full force.  What happened to my

confident little boy, who would wear a flight suit to school for picture day,

because he really wanted to?  And didn't give a hoot that the older kids

on the school bus made fun of him?  Who wore reindeer antlers to school

for the holiday party?

Charlie has confided in me his feelings.  It warms my heart that he feels he

can talk to me, but then I panic and worry that I will say the wrong thing,

and won't be able to help him.  He worries about so much now, and is

concerned that his jeans don't look quite right, and he says the wrong thing

in class, and feels bad part of the time.


I reassured him that everyone goes through this, at this age.  He argued

that the "popular" kids don't feel this way.  I told him they definitely do,

and what he is feeling is perfectly normal, and the kids who are

"popular" today, will be different kids in a few years.


Oh, I wish I could help him fast forward through these years, but I

know they are important to help shape him into the adult he will

become.  Hopefully the guidance and advice Mike and I can give

him will help him survive!


And if only I could give him permission to punch out the bullies,

life would be so much easier.  Instead we have armed him with

some wonderful comebacks that he can use when the need arises-

the whole "tongue being mighter than the sword" deal...(I know,

I know, it's a pen, but in this case the tongue works better.)