Value of life

Surprise! Happy Birthday to my Mother! I called my parents cell questioning their location today. While wishing a "Happy Birthday" It was my plot to surprise her showing up with one of our sons. They were camping for the weekend at a Provincial campground called Elk Falls. Elk Falls trails off the main Campbell River river called Quinsam River. It's a beautiful spot to camp. I've decided if not this year, next year we will make this one of our destinations!
We had an excellent dinner together and I met some of their good friends. I also reunited with my step-brother that I grew up with for many years. On our way home I was thinking about teenagers again. I was remembering my teenage hood. I know I've written about teenagers before although my enlightenment (brainwave) that often occurs while driving was, I need my parents more as I age. From thirteen to my mid twenties I was "Miss Independent" I'm still very independent and my own mind driven but I need my parents more as we age. If I can only explain to our teenagers about the value of life and how important it is to maintain relationships while seeking their independence. I understand it's not "cool" to hang out with your parents at that age. We completely ruin their life and their intent to party. My husband and I aren't parents that "party" with our children, so we are boring. I thought up until recently that I was a pretty cool and relaxed parent. Well....."Wrong" I'm not cool at all. I'm also perfectly fine with this title because I'm a parent that cares and thinks about their futures. I keep reminding them that it's not my future, it's theirs that they potentially harm by poor choices. It comes back to the conclusion that everyone like myself, like our teenagers need to learn for themselves. My question is, "why does it have to be a battle?" My only answer is because teenagers don't like the word, "No" If it's not their way, it's the highway. Then the highway turns out to be a long journey with many road blocks and interference. The interference is different construction workers holding up the stop sign! Workers that won't be there when the teenager is my age. Honestly as much as I understand the whole independent soul searching that teens and young adults do, I am at a time in my life where I want more of my parents. I wish the feelings I have, the understanding about the value of life could surface into our teenagers. I know they won't realize or be impacted fully until my age why family is important. Time is traveling so fast that before we know it, there will be losses. (Not just of old age) Just one day can change everything.
And what teenagers don't realize when life takes a turn, there is no mercy on how old you are when it happens. It can happen to me. I feel life is too short to be difficult. Back to my teenage hood, as much as I can write about it, I don't remember what I stressed over because it's now irrelevant. What I know for fact, the only importance for me now is maintaining relationships while I can. That's with my children, my family and my close friends. For my parents (I have four) I love them dearly and I hope a day doesn't go by with them not knowing this. What's interesting about love, there is an endless supply and we should all be using it towards each other daily. I will continue to preach to our teenagers in hopes for their enlightenment on the value of life, value of family and today was about my Mother on her birthday. A day I didn't want to miss.