I would like to present to you my daughter Jenna, whoajenna.gather.com. She is new to our clan here at Gather. Since I have posted articles about her and she herself is now beginning to contribute some of her own work to the site, I thought it would be nice to formally introduce her to all you wonderful people.
You probably won't be seeing the amount of submissions I publish, after all she doesn't have quite the addictive nature I have nor the free time I do, but I believe Jenna needs an official introduction because she is so, so special to me.
Jenna is sixteen. She is incredible. She is my heart, my soul. We have been through more than any two people should have to go through together. I am so proud of her that my tears well up when I think of some of the moments we have shared.
Every day I see her becoming more mature and growing into the amazing young woman that I dreamed she would be. She is now beginning to move out of the "yucky teen years" and is truly showing her inner light to all by thinking more with her heart and mind instead of just reacting with her feelings and I couldn't be more proud.
We are silly together, EXTREMELY silly together. Sometimes I'll be in her room talking with her while she is "suppose to be" heading off to dreamland and we just talk about things, finishing up our day and sure enough one of us will say something and we begin to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. You know what I'm talking about, the "non-stop-belly-chuckling-rib tickling-all-out-snorting-kind-of-laughter" that leaves you happy but in much pain.
Her friends don't understand the jokes that we have between us. Jenna tries to explain them so they will share in the humor, but they just don't get it. These jokes are what are commonly referred to as "location jokes," ya know, "you had to be there."
I hae to admit that there has been more than one occasion that the laughter did not falter until well after midnight on a school night, (just don't tell the school!) but as the mom of a teenager, these moments can be few are far between and well worth the early morning crankiness.
I don't mind if her friends don't understand our secret codes. It's all the more Jenna for me to have; something only she and I share. These moments are so precious to me, priceless even, that I am immensely thankful that I have them.
Jenna and I have many quiet, blissful moments together where I feel like we are truly connected at the hip or hearts as it is seems to be in our case. The moments when I get to play with her soft hair, pulling it out of her eyes as we talk about a situation she may have with friends or school or the everlasting litany of boys. Sometimes I stop myself and say, "Wow, she is talking to ME about this." Not her schoolmates, not her best friends or anyone else on her IM list, but ME, her mother. I am astounded and so pleased at having such a close bond with her.
When I was pregnant with her, people would say to me "Why didn't you get an abortion," or, "Why don't you give her up for adoption." I refused to give her up and am so grateful and blessed to have Jenna in my life. Can you imagine what not just I, but the world would be missing if I had given in to the pressure?
Thank you, God, for my greatest blessing, Jenna. I hope you all will embrace her like you have me; with warm, welcoming arms.
Many thanks and blessings to you all.
Namaste,
Lisa
*Jenna's link: whoajenna.gather.com
**These are some of the articles that Jenna is included in:
Homeless - Part I (Revised and reposted for "Serial Stories" group)
Warmest Christmas with Homeless Friends
What He Did - Republished for Survivor's Forum
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Comments: 21
*BTW....thanks for the nice msg earlier!
Bonnie, her link is now posted.
Namaste
Magi
Maybe I can clone her!
it gives me great hope as my own daughter grows into the teen age years, much earlier these days, she will soon be 10, there is hope we can still share happy moments..it's good to know you don't always have to go by the book..so what if there is school night, life is a big school and the children learn most of their life lessons at home..good luck to your daugther, she is blessed to have such a loving mom with a great big heart!
I am so proud of her and it's nice to know that other parents can have a great bond with their children also. It means so much in today's crazy world. I just always try to remember that love is the glue that keeps everything together.
Namaste
Namaste