18 BABY!

     Tonight I was reading an old classmates post on Facebook, she'd posted how depressing it is now that her baby is 18, and how she felt "old".    I couldn't help but comment under her status " My youngest turned 18 last week... and I find it very liberating!"

     I guess I'm a cockeyed optimist, or just a realist because I find it so wonderful that my youngest child is now a legal adult.  Of course I'll be there for him if he needs me, I'll always be his mom, but I'm also smart enough to give him space to learn, grow, make mistakes, and pick himself back up if he falls, and he will fall.

     Instead of being depressed  (this isn't the first type of post like this from the class of 1983) as we're all the same age and there are a lot of us.  I've been reading these baby's now 18 posts all year long I can't believe anybody could be depressed by this.  Maybe I'm just a kook, but I do feel liberated as HELL.  My 18 year old, has a job, a car, his own space in the basement, friends, and a good head on his shoulders FINALLY!  He rarely needs me for anything, he can go out on his own, get his car's oil changed, shop for clothes, buy his own meals, he's got ideas on what's " health food " and he buys his own.

      I no longer have to worry what's for dinner, I usually skip it, or have a banana before bed, I have time to actually READ a book!  I have time to go out with friends, weekend road trips, I have more money, because face it kids will nickle, and dime you to DEATH!   Mine did anyway, "my shoes have holes", "I need new pants", "me and ( fill in the blank) want to go to the movies, and have a sleepover!"  " I need a couple dollars for this or that"... UGH!  There goes my raise!   I'm able to shop, and buy stuff for ME!  With no guilt either cause 18 Baby's got his own money.

      I can stay up late, sleep in late, he doesn't wake me up for morning cereal and cartoons before I'm ready to be woken up. It's LIBERATING to say the least.  Just signed up for tennis lessons, and I'm taking a photography class too.  I can work whatever shift I want it doesn't matter when I come home because baby's 18!!!

      Why can't all these people see the benefits of having an 18 year old living in the house!  We still have our mom and son chats at night, but let's face it baby's 18 wouldn't be caught dead with mom in a social environment.  I no longer have to taxi he and his friends around anymore, saves me time and gas money too!  I'm finally free after 25 years of child rearing I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!  My job is complete, and looking at him, I did a great job indeed!  Watch out world, here I come cause baby's 18!