I'm all in for raising a teenager.

I've raised four teenage boys into adulthood and now I'm raising my last teenager, my daughter Laila.

This is Laila. She is a wonder.

Parenting my last teenager has been a joy and a challenge and there are many decisions to be made....but mostly in my own mind.

I decided I was all in for all of it. Bring it on. The good and the hard.

I decided to allow Laila to just be Laila and to stop trying to get her to be who I thought she should be.

I decided to allow her to just feel however she was feeling and choose how I wanted to feel at that same time, and not just mirror her emotions.

I decided to love myself where I'm at the entire time and just lean into being me, and love where Laila is too, through it all. No conditions.

These decisions changed everything for me.

Her High school years were so much better than her Jr. High years for me because my thoughts changed. I was done being miserable about her miserable and only happy when she was happy. I was okay having her fail with school work, grades, work, friends, because that's life and I was done trying to save her, to fix things for her and instead, I'm here to be her soft place to land, to cheer and mourn with her. I'm here to show Laila how amazing I know she is just by being Laila.

Laila is in her Senior year and moving on...almost 18.

Is it going to be different around here? Sure.

Is it going to be tough? Of course it is.

Is it going to be tons of fun and full of love too?

You know it.