3/2/2012 I started this blog when my younger of two daughters was 16 and had been trouble with a capital T since 6^th grade. Over the past couple of years—after 4 wrecked cars, countless court dates, no less than three bags of pot discovered, and so much more—I can say with great certainty that I don’t think my daughter is a fuck-up after all.

Daughter’s been working at a very good job for over a year and is loved and respected there. She’s been promoted and makes more money at 18 than I did in my first few years of teaching. My student loan debt far exceeded my income for many years.

In addition, she has her own apartment and has been able to keep friends and has had a boyfriend for quite some time (they live together). Normally, she’s at odds within two weeks of starting a relationship. The boy can’t handle her and she has found a thousand things wrong with him. While this kid is far from perfect (like, really, really far), it is a testimony to her maturity to be able to talk and work through problems with him. I give her a LOT of credit.

By far the best thing is the fact that I can have a nice from-a-distance relationship. Now that we don’t live together, we can pick and choose when we want to hang out, and I can pick and choose what to get involved in. As time goes by, she needs me less and less. She even thanked me the other day for letting her figure things out on her own and not meddling. Sure, I still annoy the bejeezus out of her with my questions, but if I don’t want to deal with something—it’s a good opportunity to butt out and go on with my life.

Speaking of which, I finally have a life. I can now spend time with friends, go to my boyfriend’s house after work and stay late, go out of town at a moment’s notice, and just be. When you’re children live with you, you have to be a decent role model and pretty much at their beck and call. I have no one to answer to and I LOVE it. And my tampons don’t run out.