Why Can't I Protect Him Forever?

My son Grover is about to turn 18.  Even Grover, himself, thinks it's pretty surreal.  Just tonight he was saying that he can remember when he was 14 and how he thought 18 seemed so old and so far away. Now that he is just two weeks away from the big 1-8, he says he doesn't actually feel that old.  Yet, thinking back over almost two decades, all I can recall are all of the wonderful times Grover and I have shared together and how incredibly blessed I feel.

Now, I'm not just saying this because Grover is my son, but he truly is one of the most down to earth, intelligent teens I know. He makes relatively wise decisions and is very trustworthy.  He is also a straight-A student and he is about to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. Grover is also equipped with a super brain that aids him in the ability to fix or repair almost anything. There is not a day that goes by where I don't think about how lucky I am that Grover is so amazing--especially for a teenage boy about to reach adulthood.

Yet, even though Grover doesn't "feel old," he is dealing with many issues adults go through. For example, his decision not to immediately go away to college, but to attend the local junior college after he graduates high school (the program at the university he wants to attend is an intense 21 month straight program).  Or figuring out why he often has no money (he spends it all on Mexican food and movies). Or the pros and cons of dating a girl who is away at college.  (Although they have been friends for a couple of years and everyone is so happy they officially became a couple, there still seems to be some unavoidable dramas).

As a mother, I am always inclined to want to protect my "baby," but I don't think he always wants my protection.  I also believe that as a mom I won't be able to save him from all of the difficulties of life.
Yet, I have learned that the challenges of life are often what help us to grow. They are the things that, if we learn from them, we can use them to create an even better life for ourselves.  Therefore, maybe instead of trying to keep Grover in a protective bubble, I will instead aim to be there so that I may "soften the blows" and help him make sense of this complex life.  After all, the first phase of my active role as a mother is over and now I can sit back confident I have done the best I can  as Grover moves into adulthood and moves out on his own into the real world....