The Rewards of Motherhood!

I am the mother of a 16 year old. Most days, my job as a mother, are thankless. You work hard but sometimes you feel your hard work is for nothing. The rewards are sometimes few and far between. When you have small children, you often get hugs and kisses and I love you's, but once they start to get older and you are no longer the center of their universe, your job as mother seems to have less meaning. I am very lucky. I have a great son, but sometimes I think I will never get him raised to be responsible. He forgets everything and sees nothing wrong with drink cans and clothes littering his room. I try to help him but it seems like such an endless job. Just yesterday, we went to the football field for the big Friday night game, only to have to turn around and go back home to pick up his jersey. I realize as he gets older, I have to let go and let him learn from his mistakes. I get frustrated when he forgets to do things or looses things. I want his grades to be better. He just wants me to quit hounding him. He doesn't want the hear the speech I give every time he goes out. Be good and behave yourself. Sometimes, I even feel like he doesn't love me, although I know that is not true. Then there are the days you really seem to get you big paycheck. Sometime I am so proud of him that a paycheck could never be big enough to cover the rewards I feel. Like watching him hit his first homerun, when he brings home really good grades, or when you see him run with the football in a Varsity game. But today I really got a great reward as a mother. He was out with some of his friends, shopping at Wal-Mart and saw this elder lady trying to load her purchase in her car and he stopped to ask if she needed help. I was so proud of him. Here he was with his buddies but he still had time to stop and help this stranger. I feel like I have finally been rewarded for my hard work. Now, if I can just teach him responsibility!