The Pains (and Joys) of Growing Up

Yesterday we came across this clip from Yahoo! news. Go ahead and watch it now.

After you've clicked on the link and watched the video, you may be wondering what a baby elephant has to do with tweens and teens! Yes, it is a little odd but it makes for a great metaphor of the struggles tweens and teens go through as they are growing up.

Notice the baby elephant giving every effort to just get upright and try to stand. Notice the parent in the background almost pacing back and forth, swinging its trunk, while s/he watches the baby. For the viewer, it may provoke some anxiety as you root on the little fellow and yet she continues to fail. No matter what, this baby elephant just doesn't have the muscles yet to make a stand. Nobody, not even the parent, can "will" it to happen.

Growing up can be a lot like this. 

As a tween/teen there are a lot of things that you may really really want to do, but you don't have the means or ability to do it (yet!). It can be so frustrating!

As a parent you may see the struggles of your child and feel helpless not to be able to fix things right away or make it all better for them. 

These are some of the pains and joys of growing up. The pains come from the times that things can't be done, but the joys come from the moment when it suddenly can! Imagine being that baby elephant. After struggling and fighting to stand up, the moment when it does happen is blissful and exhilarating. Without the wait and the push to make it all happen, would that moment have been quite as satisfying? There is something to be said about a struggle and the feeling of mastery you get after it has been conquered. Growing up isn't an easy process, and sometimes our patience and perseverance is the most important part of the whole thing.

Keep trying and don't give up!