The Making of a High Schooler's Mom - A Retrospective

I had a milestone birthday a few weeks ago.  Yes, I will admit out loud:  I am now 50 years old.  It's a difficult concept around which to wrap my grey matter; I mean, I still have very vivid memories of being a teenager, and not all of them were bad!  I relive my teen years every day when I spend time with my daughter asking about her day, commiserating about tough teachers, and laughing about the antics of her friends.

My daughter.  My lovely first born.  She who will be 16 years old in two days, is possessed of lush dark hair down to her waist, a figure built for sin, a singing voice that could rival the angels, and a gentle heart that will make you weep.  Her first year and a half of high school has transformed her from child to young woman, and she has journeyed unscathed through the vitriol and pettiness that is rampant in the halls of a secondary educational facility.

I have learned some things about myself, watching my child's metamorphosis.

• I was not nearly as confident as a high school freshman as my daughter was, and as sophomore, I was even less self-possessed.  I know my husband and I made the best decision when we decided NOT to seek job opportunities that would uproot us and take our daughter away from this school.  While some would see her nine years in the same grade school as a detriment, I know that keeping her in the "cocoon" as long as I did helped her.  Her chrysalis gave her time to mature into the self-possessed person she is today.  The transformation is not complete, of course, but it is well established.  I do not bubble wrap my children, but I do support and encourage.  
• I cannot protect my children from heartache.  While I have a tendency to be overly protective, I think most parents would like to spare their offspring from hurt and pain, especially the emotionally kind.  Then again, those things that give us pain are those that teach us great things about ourselves and others.  I just wish my daughter's stellar first year of high school could have ended on a high instead of a low.
• My time-out trip to Florida last year was very necessary for my physical and emotional recharging, and it forced my kids to look to their father for some of the "emotionally propping up" that they usually seek from me.  I'm thinking that a "mom unplugged" trip on a regular basis is a necessary tool.
• I really have learned to live FOR my kids and not THROUGH my kids.  I rejoice in their accomplishments, but I know that while their dad and I make sacrifices to help support them, ultimately their accomplishments are THEIRS and NOT mine.  I have my own goals and dreams.
• My surgery last summer laid me up for several weeks, and I discovered that I taught my daughter pretty well when it comes to tending to the home fires.  My son discovered that dad is a great academic mentor and cheerleader.  My husband learned just how challenging it is to "ride herd" on our son and his proclivity for procrastination when it comes to school work.  Now I have a partner in crime when it comes to cajoling and coaching our recalcitrant boy.
• I discovered that I really don't care what others think about how I raise my kids, keep my house, or how long I've had my car.  My husband and I are happy, our kids are happy, healthy, friendly, and law-abiding, my house is comfortable, and my car is just a car.  Isn't that all that matters?
• And here's the biggest lesson of all that I've learned:  I have THE BEST job.  

I know:  not exactly mind-blowing epiphanies, but still, I think I've learned a lot, and I have so much more to learn.  Should be fun!