Becoming a teenager is a HUGE milestone, not only for the teenager – but for the parents, too. My son William turned 13 years old yesterday, he has officially hit the teenage years! I know this seems CRAZY to say, but he just looked older to me yesterday. I’m not sad that he’s a teenager, but I will say… it tugs at my heart a bit. I miss the little boy who would run in the house and need me for everything! I miss the little boy who would run into my room at night scared of the wind or the rain. I miss the little boy who needed me to walk upstairs with him. It’s those little moments that are really defining for me because I don’t have them with him anymore. And believe me, I know it’s because this is how life is supposed to go… but it still aches at my heart.

As I watched him blow out his candles last night, I wondered what he was wishing for… surely not the things that I would wish for him, at least not yet. I love the innocence of birthday wishes when you’re a kid. You want things that maybe you never think possible… a dog, headphones, a new phone. When you’re a mom you look at birthday wishes in a completely different way.

You wish for them to follow their dreams and passions always.

You wish for them to make good friends. The kind of friends that won’t pressure them or push them to do anything they don’t want to do.

You wish for safety for them, always.

You wish for them to follow through on what they start in life.

You wish for them to always feel loved.

You wish for them to never have their heart broken.

You wish for them to always be anchored to their siblings.

You wish for them to always know that you’re there – morning, noon or night.

You wish for them to know that YOU have their back on anything!

You wish for all his birthdays to be as fun as 13 years old.

You wish for the excitement of getting Hamilton tickets to always be in his heart.

You wish for all good things to come.

You wish to take away any bad or pain or hurt.

You wish for them to change the world, in any big or small way possible.

You wish and dream big for them because that’s how they came to be.

To all my fellow teen moms, I’m part of this “exclusive club” now and I love it.

Here’s to the next phase in life… and now I’m thanking GOD I had Victoria 8 years after William!

XO