Something I've learned raising teens and young adults: if you think you're doing a great job and all the kids are thriving, just wait a week. Inevitably, you learn about a struggle your child is dealing with you didn't see coming. Or someone's attitude sky-rockets. Or some event forces your family to make a detour.
I can't even tell you the number of times I've gone from thinking, "Wow, our kids are doing great!" to "Oh my word! How are we going to get through this," in a matter of days. Often it happens with all four kids at once. Suddenly, the overwhelm is high and the discouragement is deep.
But, those are not the things that make this blog book. When the other shoe falls, you don't rush to document it or post on social media. Both because of the shame and because those stories, as a parent, are not mine to tell.
But, I felt the need to just acknowledge the presence of these moments amidst these pages full of celebration and pride.
I do want to focus on the success of my kids. But, I want to just take a moment and say that in between these amazing smiles and high fives, there are also some hard things happening. And, in a way, that makes the good even more precious.
