Do you wanna go to lunch?

That’s all it took...

A simple phone call

One question

Do you wanna go to lunch?

He said "sure" and before I knew it there we sat, eating Mexican food
my 21-year-old son and I. 
I can feel your high-fives and fist bumps, you mothers of the Young Adult Male.

Maybe you figured this out before me, or maybe this sounds to you like it would take an act of God for your young adult child to wanna spend time with his mama, 
Well my friend, 
mothers, aunts or grandmas of this unique species, I sit before you today giving you hope. 

What began as a seemingly normal day for this unemployed, writer-wannabe, mom of 3.8 grown children (Youngest Boy - days away from 17, almost young adult).

Oldest Boy had an unexpected day off work... 

The rest is the beautiful story to tell

A moment-in-time, part of my Mom memories.

I picked the place, I paid (he was my date ...)

We took a selfie.

He's so handsome!

We went to Target.
We went home.

It was the simplest of moments ...  and it started with the simplest of questions.

Try it. They might say yes!

Parenting 101

It's not an argument
It's not a fight
It just is!

WHY hasn't Someone Told me ThIs BEFORE!!!!

Instead of screaming in irritation I have to be honest
I feel like I've always known this
But yesterday
  talking to a friend on the phone
  I heard it for the "first" time, again

It's not an argument
It's not a fight
It just is!

How brilliant.

Don't get me wrong,
     There is time for conversation and feedback.
     There's time to listen, even when what they say is completely irrational
     They are definitely allowed to have an opinion

But THEY - our children
     sometimes they just need to be told
     It just is!!

If you're a parent and you're reading this… you probably didn't taking Parenting 101 either otherwise you wouldn't have even bothered to open up this post. Those parents have it all figured out.
So you're probably a parent, or soon to be parent, who feels stuck, completely powerless, or scared spitless. Maybe you've blown it like me (perceived or real), or afraid you will.

This next step for me (us) in parenting really goes back to the first one that I must have forgotten.

No matter how much my little boy squirmed, the nurse needed to give him his shot.
No matter how hard my little girl cried, I needed to get her in that lukewarm tub in order to get that fever down.
No matter how scared he was on his first day of school, we needed to walk in together and give it a try.
No matter how confused he was, he needed to stay in the hospital and I had to walk away ...

No matter how hard it is to grow up - they have to grow up!
The option to that is, well...
                no option at all.

The emotion behind all of this is so real, but it can't always be emotionally driven.
Some things are necessary.
Whether the situation is life and death or
      as foggy and uncertain for some as to how to mature and grow

I have to do this

It's not going to be an argument
It's not going to be a fight
It Just Is!!!

(Thanks for listening … I feel much better now.)