(This is my grandson, Josh, who will be graduating from high school next month.)

Scrolling through Facebook, you can’t help but notice that it’s spring and young men’s fancies turn to thoughts of . . . well, uh, er, you know.  I don’t remember prom, because we never had one when I was in high school.  Dancing was forbidden at the time – for whatever reason.  I think it had something to do with those thoughts young men’s fancies turn to.  My first two kids had to suffer the same indignity, since they went to private Lutheran high school and things don’t change much in the Lutheran Church, until my third child became a Junior.  At that point, some bolt of lightening must’ve come out of the sky and declared that dancing was OK and proms were OK too.  She was the first in our family to attend prom.  Most families’ claim to fame is when a child is the first to graduate from college.

Looking at pictures today of these young adults who are no longer the kids I taught drama and public speaking skills to, makes me wonder where the time has gone.  As parents we look at our kids all gussied up in tuxedos and formals and wonder who they are?  We’re so used to seeing them in basketball or soccer uniforms, smelly sweat shirts and flannel pajama bottoms.  When they appear in this adult garb, it’s well, uh, er, you know … weird!

Kids surprise us everyday, but when they actually surprise you by becoming adults, its amazing.  You wonder how these kids jumped from insecure, shy, fun loving, daring, to sophisticated, glamorous and grown up,  How did that happen?  All of a sudden, they’re so much more than you ever dreamed – so confident – so polished.  Somewhere in the high school years, this transition takes place.

At times it seems they’ll never grow up.  There are the disagreements, the discipline issues, the hormones raging and well, uh, er, all that other stuff that goes along with the teen years.  You can pretty much count on not knowing much about anything in your teen’s eyes until they turn age 30 and realize that somehow you became really intelligent along the line.

Remember that the ground work you’re laying with your teens is going to last them a lifetime.  They are counting on you to be good role models, give them the tools they need to live, set boundaries for them.  Even though they think they know it all, they still need you.  Don’t let them down.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6