By Amy Keyes 
Not so long ago, my youngest turned 16. Sixteen candles. Sweet sixteen. Sixteen going on seventeen. All of the reminders that this is a turning point in the coming-of-age stories that play like a movie montage in my mind.
I found myself checking out at the Walgreens counter with packages of streamers and balloons and the 16 birthday candle, which catalyzed an undercurrent emotion I was not expecting. Entering my rewards number while choking back tears, the employee commented on what a big, special birthday it was. Sixteen is the crossroads of so many things.
It’s the bottom of the wave that crests into the short roll into adulthood. They are no longer wishing for some of the freedoms that seemed so far in the distance because sixteen brings them closer. An open road after passing that driver’s test. A first job that brings in a sense of pride in money earned on your own. A newfound independence that fills the teenage heart with elation and joy, and mine with a whole new level of emotion.
For him, it’s the beginning of the release. For me, it’s the mixed bag of still getting glimmers of childhood and also the letting go into adulthood. It’s those unexpected hugs once in a while. The moments that he still comes to me for advice or to share a funny story from the day. The uninhibited laughter when he’s doing something he loves.
And it’s also the waiting for him to get home after a night out with friends. It’s the beginning of seeing less and less of his face as he works long hours and then comes home to decompress or finish up his homework. The small bits of time we used to share on those quick drop-offs to sports or school are now replaced with even more free time on my hands.
Sixteen, for me, is understanding that the road to adulthood is just a heartbeat, and soon my home will be an empty nest.
And I know there’s time. I know there are so many wonderful and exciting things to come. I know that 16 is still a kid in so many ways. And I treasure that perspective too. I just sometimes want to hit the pause button. Because 16 is a magical time of life.
by Sara Frank 
by Mikala Albertson 
