My Kids or Why I Have So Many Grey Hairs

Kids...yeesh! For a single, unattached woman with no children of my own, I have way too many grey hairs these days. By and large, the majority of my godchildren are a pure joy. Of course four of them are under the age of eleven, so the amount of trouble they can cause or get into is limited. The older three, well they are another matter. Though only one is having difficulties that I worry somewhat about.

It's the rest of "my kids" I worry about. This is where some people get confused. I don't have any kids of my own, it's true. Except I have a group of ten to fifteen kids (it fluctuates) that are mine. I saw alot of them today. And I do worry about them, alot. Not because they are bad kids, because they're not. They are actually really good kids. They are smart and more importantly, they have good hearts. They look out for each other like they were really family. So why do I worry?

Because this is not an easy world to be a teenager in. My kids have challenges facing them daily, and they don't always make the best decisions. Some of them have ended up way over their heads. Sometimes they forget they can ask for help, sometimes they don't have someone who is willing to help. Some of them, from what I hear, have lost their way out in the world.

Even though they are no longer "my responsibility", I still worry about them. Things have been hard for some of them lately. And they still long for an adult who will joke with them, laugh at their nonsense and threaten to kick them in the butts if they don't take care of themselves and each other, if they don't do well in school, etc. and to give them a hug when they've had a rough day.

So I have alot of grey hairs I might have put off for a few more years. If some of those grey hairs mean things are a little better for my kids, it's not such a high price to pay.

But I will ask, if you are so inclined, include my little gang of hooligans in your thoughts and prayers. They can use all the help they can get. You might even save me from a couple more grey hairs.

PS If you live in NH, we can always use more volunteers at the Teen Center. You haven't partied until you've chaperoned a dance. We have one Saturday night!