You're trying.
That's the first thing I want to say.
Even if it doesn't feel like it's working.
Even if your teen barely looks up from their phone or just answers you with a shrug or a single word.
Even if the silence in the car feels heavier than the traffic.
You're still showing up and that matters.
So today let's take a few minutes to set aside the frustration,
The worry,
Even the urge to fix something.
And let's just sit together and breathe.
So you can take a moment now to find a comfortable seat.
And let your hands rest gently in your lap.
And if it feels okay,
Let your eyes soften or close completely.
And take a slow,
Full breath in.
And exhale long and steady.
Again,
Deep breath in.
And let it go.
Just letting yourself arrive right here.
Now let's acknowledge something quietly,
Without judgment.
Parenting a teenager can feel like trying to hug a porcupine.
One minute they want closeness and the next they pull away.
But they're figuring out who they are.
And in the process you might feel like you're losing who you were to them.
Maybe you remember when they used to light up at your jokes or crawl into your lap without a second thought.
And now,
Well,
Things are different.
You might feel like a guest in their world,
Unsure of your place.
And that's hard.
So take another breath here.
This time just for you.
Let yourself feel supported by this stillness.
There is no script for what to say.
There's no magic phrase that guarantees connection.
But what you do have is your presence.
And that presence is powerful.
So try this with me now.
Picture your teen in your mind.
Not the version that you wish they were or the memory of who they used to be,
But who they are now.
Maybe even what they looked like earlier today.
Okay.
And as you hold that image,
Gently say to yourself,
I see you.
I'm here.
I love you.
It might feel awkward or even emotional.
And that's okay.
You're not saying it to get a reaction.
You are just practicing how to hold them with attention,
Not with control.
With steadiness,
Not solutions.
Let's come back to our breath.
Inhale,
Feel the air filling your body.
Exhale,
Softening your jaw,
Your shoulders.
Letting go of the story of what should be.
Coming back to what is.
This is where connection begins.
Not in fixing,
Not in forcing,
But in just choosing to stay open.
Just sitting with our breath,
Feeling the rhythm in and out.
And if your mind wanders to worrying about things,
It's so easy to to wonder,
What if I'm messing this up?
Or what if they never open up again?
It's okay.
Just notice that voice and then offer it kindness.
You are allowed to be unsure.
You're allowed to feel all of it.
The truth is,
Love isn't always loud.
Sometimes love is just sitting next to someone in silence,
Letting them know they're not alone,
Without needing them to say a word.
As Ram Dass once said,
We're all just walking each other home.
And your teen might not say it,
But they feel it when you keep walking beside them.
Even when the road is quiet,
Even when they don't look back,
They feel it.
All right,
Let's take one more full breath in and exhale gently.
And see if you can let that be enough for now.
You've shown up,
You've softened,
You've breathed.
And maybe,
Just maybe,
You've created the smallest opening.
Not out there,
Not in your teen,
But in you.
So as you move through the rest of your day,
See if you can carry this presence with you.
Not to change your teen,
But to stay rooted in love,
Even when it's silent.
Remember,
It's okay not to have the answers.
It's okay to just keep showing up.
Because that's connection too.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
And may you be at peace.
Thank you so much for joining me.
