A poem and a post

It’s been a while since my last post. It’s been a tough Fall, lots of ups and downs and teenage angst. Lots of housework to be done, bills to pay, homework support to be provided. Driving lessons have been given and an additional car has been procured for a certain teenage driver. Said teenage driver now has a part time job to pay for insurance and gas and is also learning to drive a stick shift…guess who is driving him to work and teaching him to clutch and not grind gears? As if that isn’t enough, let’s throw in a minor surgery, medical and dental appointments, and a fight with the school district over accommodations for our youngest under his IEP and Mom has a pretty full plate. And did I mention that I’ve increased my hours as a freelance interpreter? Yes, well…Christmas is coming, tuition is due for Ms. College Student, and Mr. HS Senior isn’t far behind.

So where am I going with this? Well, the other day, one of my kids came across this poem while preparing for an English assignment. She was supposed to analyze the poem and relate it to her own feelings. She did a great job; she wrote about how this poem is totally about being a teenager, about peer pressure, first love found and lost, the stress of school and social issues, friendship and Facebook drama. I’m proud of her and can see her perspective…but the poem isn’t really about the teenage years at all.  It’s obviously about motherhood and multi-tasking and surviving 5 teens. It’s clear as a bell to me!

Lodged by Robert Frost

The rain to the wind said,
'You push and I'll pelt.'
They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged--though not dead.
I know how the flowers felt.

I don’t know, maybe my girl and I are both right. At least we agree on one thing…we may be a bit battered by the elements but we’re both survivors.