[Editor's Note: If you've never thought what it's like to parent a teenager who was adopted and the ins and outs that go with that special circumstance, I invite you to read this post by Mary at Owlhaven. What seems like an innocent shopping trip holds a weight for this mom. Her point -- that sometimes we need to love our children how they need to be loved more than we want to love them -- is one that hits me right where I need hit. -Jenna]
Loving:
I know that some of the ups and downs are normal teen stuff. Girls often have a hard time getting along with their moms– I know I did when I was 14. For awhile I fantasized about being adopted by a rich family where I could be the only child and wouldn’t have to do chores. I’ve told my daughters that, and I understand it’s a tough age.
But still -- when a child home almost five years says you’ll never really be her mom, that signing papers doesn’t make it true, it is a knife to the heart. A failed shopping trip, though a small failure in the grand scheme of things, feels like twisting that knife. If we can’t even have a successful shopping trip together, what are our chances of a real relationship some day?
Photo Credit: jromero88.