Growing up changes everything

There was a time when I could sleep until my eyes felt like opening,
when I no longer felt the need to sleep.
There was a time when all I had to do was eat and sleep,
because all I could do was eat and sleep.
There was a time when everything I needed,
my mother prepared for me,
My food, my drinks, my clothes, my shoes,
everything my mother would get ready for me.

When I could read the letters of the alphabets,
my mother would buy me books, loads of books.
She would sit with me and read to me line by line,
ever so patiently, she waited for me to read word by word aloud.
She would choose for me what clothes I was going to wear,
mother matched everything perfectly for me!
She ever so patiently cajoled me to open my mouth,
and guided my little hand to aim the spoon correctly in!
And my shoes... my shoes were always just ready to be worn,
no one said anything about cleaning shoes - they were just there, always ready to be worn!

Now that I am ten, mother says I need to be more independant,
so many things I now had to do myself.
She still buys me books, but I read them by myself now,
she doesn't have time to sit with me as I pour over the pages.
Now that I get to choose my own clothes and coordinate the colours myself,
many times she'd fight with me over what I should wear and what I shouldn't!
Now I wonder whatever happened to all that patience mother had,
I am always eating too slowly, drinking too slowly, she's always hurrying me nowadays.
And as for my shoes.... I have to clean them on my own now,
I never knew that shoes didn't clean themselves! What a disappointment!!

Growing up changes so many things
As a toddler, I had everything done for me
As a little girl, I still had most things done for me
But now, my mother keeps telling me I have to do these things for myself
Growing up changes everything
I pray, Lord, for the wisdom, the courage and the strength to cope as I grow
To learn the ways my mother has taught me, for she is always teaching me Your Ways, Lord.

A Fulfilling Weekend

I crashed immediately when I got home on Sunday evening, totally exhausted... mentally, physically and emotionally...

Reflecting on the events that had taken place over the weekend, since the bus ride on Friday afternoon.... I was filled with a sense of awe at how the Hand of God orchestrated every single moment of the Camp.

How we identified ourselves with nature and how we brought out our talents, this group of diverse, ethnically, culturally different young people with so many different talents and skills. Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, then I can't begin to fathom how awesome our Creator is.

As we sat there tickled to the bone at Mervin's sense of humour, which seemed to appeal very much to the teenagers, we absorbed his words like a sponge. He spoke the truth, about the very real challenges of peer pressure and boy-girl relationship for today's teenagers. We want to assert ourselves and show ourselves to be capable of making our own decisions, yet we are at the tender, young and easily-influenced age. Friends are so important at this age, and so it is important for parents to become friends with their teenagers at this age. Being a teenager today is so challenging.

Every decision comes with a consequence and this is the hard lesson that our teenagers today need to learn. It may be the simple decision of whether or not to make my bed when I wake up or the emotionally disturbing one, of how far should I go with my boy/girl-friend to prove that I love him/her. Once we make the decision, we have to live with the consequence, whether it is easy or difficult.... Being a teenager today is so challenging.

Understanding what our parents expect of us and we, in turn, expect of our parents, is made more challenging when both parents are working and have so little time with their teenagers. Communicating our thoughts and desires honestly, is so scary! Yet that is the only way we can arrive at a better understanding and a closer relationship with our parents. Being a teenager today is so challenging.

The new bonds of friendship that we established or the old ones that we deepened during these few days together, will be cherished in our memories forever. Being a teenager today is so challenging, yet, God is always with us, every step of everyday, reaching out to take our hand, to guide us in the path that He has chosen us for.

I was totally exhausted, and at the same time, very fulfilled, as I witnessed first-hand, the wonder of God's creation (our teenagers and facilitators) coming together, sharing meals together, learning together and celebrating the Eucharist together. It was a fulfilling weekend indeed!

Give thanks to the LORD... whose love endures forever. Ps 118:1