Ash Turns 17 today, & this is My Promise to him

 

Ash turns 17 years old today and I know everyone says it, but I do wonder where the time has gone.

SEVENTEEN. It feels like I have just blinked and he is at the halfway mark of his teen years already. First day of primary school? PSLE? Secondary school life? O-levels? All these felt as if they just happened last week.

But what a year it had been for Ash. Most of his 16th year was focused on his major O-levels exams. It was tough and painful no doubt but compared to his PSLE year, I realised that there was nothing much I can do except to support him from the sidelines. Where I could once solve his PSLE Math problem sums and help him in his PSLE Science OE questions, I am totally lost when it comes to his E-Math, Chemistry, and even Geography questions. 😁

But he slogged through it. It was not easy, but I am already incredibly proud of the effort he has put in, and hopefully it will continue in his future education.  You can’t blame me for worrying though, because he does spend a lot of time gaming, and I would hate for him to miss out on his grades for too much Apex Legends. Or Super Smash Bros.😅😅😅

But now, he has arrived at that strange grey area between teenland and adulthood where he knows so much, but still need to learn the lessons only responsibility can teach him.  I just hope I have equipped him with enough to learn those lessons and not make quite so many mistakes as I did. 

But no matter what issues he may face as a teenager and I as a parent, I want him to know that I can never be more proud of him. Sure, there will be times when he will deem me to be unreasonable and tantrums may be thrown. (I'm talking about myself) But I hope that he will understand that any decision that the wifey and I make will be based on our love for him.

Yes, we will listen.

Yes, we might not understand.

But I hope he will always remember that our responsibility is to love and protect him, even if he doesn't like or understand it at that moment in time.

I can’t promise I’ll never yell at him - just like how I know he will not be able to make the same promise too. But I promise I will try my darndest to keep my emotions in check.

And I can't help it if he will hate me for whatever decisions that make which seem to be unreasonable or unpopular in his eyes.

But Ash, I can promise these on your 17th Birthday:

I will forgive you always.

I will love you always.

I will be here for you always.

Because anytime you feel lost, you can always come home... where Mummy and myself will be waiting for you.

Happy 17th Birthday, son! ❤️