Momhood

Motherhood, insanity and everyday life.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Extreme Teen Makeover





In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t imagine my daughter associated with the items in this picture. She is the girl who screams, I mean SCREAMS when a fly buzzes near her head. She and the outdoors are like oil and water. Getting her to clean her room is a lesson in futility. But these boots, hammer, work gloves and measuring tape belong to her. And she earned them.

My sweet 16 year-old just returned from a trip to Kentucky where she and a bunch of other local teens built and rehabbed homes for the underprivileged. She signed up, but I’m not sure she really understood what she was getting into. She reluctantly surrendered her cell phone and a week of her time to help others.

I’m not sure what I expected upon her return. To be honest, not much. And the change is subtle. But it’s there, buried underneath the tired eyes and the farmer tan. She’s done some things and it’s made her a better person.

The story that sticks in my head is one that started as her explaining to her fellow teens that the word is “wheelbarrow” not “wheelbarrel.”

“But we didn’t have a wheelbarrow so we pretty much had to lie on the ground and mix the cement with our arms in the foundation holes,” she said.

“Didn’t it dry on you?!” I asked.

“Nah, it won’t dry instantly and besides, that’s all we could do,” she replied.

Huh. This cannot be my daughter. This isn’t the person we dropped off a week ago who kinda, sorta didn’t want to go. That girl is gone. I like this new girl. She’s got spunk. I hope she stays.

2 Comments:

At 10:38 AM , Blogger Jack Steiner said...

Sounds like she learned a good lesson or two from this trip.

 
At 11:29 PM , Blogger MorahMommy said...

Kids are great and they never cease to amaze me. It sounds like a great experience for her.

 

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