Life's Lessons Take Hold

Nothing makes a parent prouder than to see their children succeed. Success means different things to different people, but in this case, I am referring to the triumph of morality over peer pressure. When Jon, our youngest, moved out, my wife was devastated. Convinced that she had lost him and his spirit to the darker elements, Jon appeared not to be interested in any of the moral teachings that my wife and I had tried to instill in him. Yesterday, he returned. Three months older, three years wiser.

Jon had experienced his first glimpse of the adult world without benefit of his parents' shelter, and apparently did not like what he had seen. During his time away, he had been living in a basement apartment in the home of one of his friends. He learned to become self-sufficient, holding a steady job, buying and preparing his own food, and paying rent. Without the influence of parents, he no doubt did things we wouldn't have approved of, but that's not the subject of this post.

What is the subject of this post? Jon witnessed behaviours played out under his own roof that he had only seen on the street, or at parties, where he could grimace and walk away. Now, he was in a position where these activities became part of his everyday reality, and he was disgusted. Disgusted enough that yesterday, he called us and told us he had had enough.

This wasn't a cry for help from someone who had failed at becoming independent, and wanted to run back to the shelter of the nest. Rather, it was an admission that his departure was premature - that he had to put more thought into where he would live, and with whom he would share his space.

So, for now, Jon is back home. He's no longer a baby, and he won't be treated that way. We will have to enforce minimal restrictions for our own sanity (i.e. the Marilyn Manson music will have to be played at near-inaudible levels, and rock posters will no longer adorn his bedroom walls during our limited time left in this house), but for the most part, he'll have his freedom to come and go as he pleases, just as if he were living away from home.

This morning, he did not need to have his mother wake him with a knock on his bedroom door. She didn't need to remind him to make his bed, so our house would remain presentable for those people who come to our door without warning. By 6:30AM, when my wife was just getting out of bed, Jon was heading out the door to work.

Welcome back, and have a nice day!