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welcome back
you were missed
before I left nyc I found my teen age diary and read it
it was just ages 14 till almost 15
I didn't write much in it during my 14th summer when I had my first boyfriend
but when I was sophmore in high school after that summer
I became aware he was rejecting me
the diary lasted from that Sept to December
I was in love with him, we had passionate love affair
I did not know how to deal with the rejection at all
finally by December I became philosophical about it and decided to accept it
it was interesting reading my diary, watching my young woman's mind trying to deal with it
what struck me was interspersed with that whole struggle
every few days I would comment ''mom is being difficult''
I gave no details, but I seemed to be sprised my mom had suddenly turned difficult
now that I see the struggle my brother and sil have with their teenage son
of course I am on their side
but I wonder if teenagers are struggling with things that are hard for them
Love, Palo

I think so much of teen age problems is just they are in that in between stage...no longer a small child, but not yet an adult....

And dealing with things for the first time...as you found in, by reading your diary, ones first love, ones first rejection, can often be hard and traumatic...I always think, when a teen gets that first love rejection, they think they are going to die, that no one else ever suffered from being rejected....but the truth is, almost all of us have been rejected in love, at one time or another...its just the way of life...

And every teen has raging hormones, sometimes I think that makes them nuts...and of course, they think that their parents understand nothing at all of what they are going through, because they think their parents are 'old' and dont understand love and passions and all that...

Its all so complicated, so it seems...raising teenagers is hell compared to just having little ones around...Frankly, I mistrust any teen who is too good, or too sweet, or too docile, or too obediant...perhaps thats just the cynic in me, but when people brag on and on about their absolutely heavenly darling teenager, the warning flags and bells go up, at least for me....

Teen-age rebellion is as old as time, and has always been around....I guess the trick is to somehow temper that teen age rebellion with a firm, but loving hand...and that can be very, very tricky...