No one really tells you

 No one really tells you how hard it is to parent pre-teens and teenagers.

You spend their whole childhood teaching them how to walk, how to speak, how to say please and thank you.
But then one day, they start walking into the world without you. Making choices you can’t control. Learning lessons the hard way.
And all you can do is hope that everything you’ve poured into them sticks.

They are still growing. Still figuring it out. Still trying to understand who they are.
They will mess up. They will test limits. They will make decisions that leave you awake at night.

But my love for them doesn’t change.
It doesn’t shrink with their mistakes.
It doesn’t disappear when they push me away.

I will always be the safe place they can run to.
Not with judgement. But with open arms.
With love. With patience. With understanding.

Because being their mom means showing up for them when it’s easy
and especially when it’s not.