A Gift for Mom! 🤍

My Teenage Son Loves His Girlfriend—And So Do I

2 Minute Read

By Melissa Neeb

Teens walking holding hands — Image via Melissa Neeb

They started dating as freshmen in high school. My son was 14.

That’s young.

Sixteen was the original law we had for when our kids could start dating. Etched on the same parental 10 commandment tablets as “Our baby will not use a pacifier” (ha), “our children will not get a cell phone before [enter any age here]” (double ha), and “our children would never do that” (puh-leez, they absolutely will).

When our son began pressing us to start dating when he was 14, we relented. They were good kids, they respected our rules, and they were so sweet to each other.

There were strict guidelines though:

1. No bedrooms.
2. No being alone in the house.
3. Only group dates.

RELATED: Follow Your Heart But Take Your Brain With You: 20 Rules For Healthy Teen Dating

Unlike typical high school relationships, theirs was not a fickle and fleeting infatuation. They were best friends. Introverts who could confide in each other, be quiet together, and whose interests were compatible.

They had a rare mutual combination of trust, respect, and support.

Throughout the next three years of high school, they became inseparable.

They still are today.

There is no drama between them, no loud arguments, and no festering jealousy. Not your typical high school relationship for sure.

RELATED: It’s Hard To Watch Our Teens Start Dating—And Even Harder To See Their Hearts Break

When the pandemic hit, they didn’t see each other for two months. My son raised enough money from family and friends to buy her a Nintendo Switch Lite so she would have something fun to do on her family’s rural farm place. She mailed him care packages of treats. She also, over the years, has done numerous drawings of the two of them which adorn his locker at school and his desk at home.

I am grateful for my teenage son’s girlfriend.

She is so kind, thoughtful, generous, sweet, and has made my son so happy throughout his entire high school career. She has been there for all the good and bad. Unwavering. Steadfast.

RELATED: The Truth About Marrying Your High School Sweetheart

They are blessed to have each other. She has treated my son the way I always prayed he would be treated.

What more could a mom ask for?

So God Made a Grandmother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Order Now!

Melissa Neeb

I'm a Minnesota native and lover of nature, WW2 memoirs, rescue dogs, photography, and thrifting. My husband and two teenagers are the great loves of my life. I am passionate about advocating for addiction recovery, writing about parenting, life, faith, and everything in between.

The Invisible Pain after IVF Stops

In: Motherhood

Woman holding pregnancy test with head in hands

There is nothing “basic” about stopping IVF and returning to the so-called natural route. There is no guidebook for what comes next. The protocols and procedures that once dictated every step suddenly disappear. The appointments, alarms, and instructions are gone—but the emotions and unknowns remain. There is no protocol for going back to the basics. When we decided to stop IVF and try naturally, I wasn’t prepared for how difficult this next part of our journey would be. During IVF, everything had structure. There were calendars to follow, medications to take at exact times, appointments that filled the weeks. There...

Keep Reading

The Final Out

In: Motherhood

Baseball game as seen through the fence behind home plate

Tonight I watched him step up to the plate for the last time. Play-offs. Single elimination. Down by one. Last inning. Two outs. And the batting lineup just happened to fall to him. Nothing prepares you for that. He took a breath. The weight of an entire lifetime spent in red dirt hinging on this moment. He set his face like flint to that pitcher. The ball left the glove, and he swung. Strike one. He stepped away. Reset. Tapped the base. Then set himself once more. He swung, hit a line drive, and sprinted headlong towards the base, setting...

Keep Reading

These Holy Small Things

In: Faith, Motherhood

My 8-year-old-daughter has recently taken up sewing, to my simultaneous delight and chagrin. My delight because I too love sewing; my chagrin because her enthusiasm often outpaces my own abilities, namely, in the undertaking of tedious projects with no pattern. Take, for example, the cloth doll diaper we designed and stitched up together. Granted, the design was fairly basic to draw up and scale. But the minuscule nature of the work, both for my hands and head, was enough to throw me into existential questioning. It was one of those moments when you wonder how the sum of your life...

Keep Reading

The Pressure to Do Everything “Right” Is Crushing Us

In: Motherhood

Tired and stressed mother sits in hallway with toddler across from her, black and white image

I don’t remember when motherhood started to feel like a test I didn’t study for—but somehow, I’m always convinced I’m failing it. It’s in the quiet moments. Standing in the grocery store aisle, overthinking every label—organic, non-GMO, dye-free, free-range, grass-fed—like I’m one bad decision away from ruining their future…while also trying not to take out a second mortgage just to afford my ever-rising grocery bill. Sitting on the couch, wondering if the show they’re watching or game they’re playing is rotting their brain. Lying in bed at night, replaying the way I handled a meltdown, picking apart every word I...

Keep Reading

Letting You Go Is Still So Hard

In: Grown Children, Motherhood

Nothing really prepares you for the day your child leaves the house. Last September, my husband and I moved our 18-year-old son into his dorm room. Right after that, he was swept away into all things orientation, and we began our 1,000-mile journey back home. Leaving this beautiful human I raised and spent all those years with felt foreign. During our final hug goodbye, despite trying to hold in my pain, I broke out in huge, ugly, guttural tears. Our drive home was a long two days. It took every fiber of my being not to turn around. Returning to...

Keep Reading

Behind Every Smiling Graduate Is a Mother Letting Go

In: Grown Children, Motherhood

Every year, millions of American families send their children off to their freshman year of college. Their pictures dot our social media feeds. Images of excited students holding collegiate pennants, maybe wearing a hat or holding up their school’s hand sign with beaming smiles. Their parents post excited words about futures and hopes and dreams. One chapter closing. Another opening. A new beginning. So why am I struggling so much? Why does this feel more like a loss than a gain? Why are my tears always on edge, threatening to spill over each time I think about August and what...

Keep Reading

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

In: Faith, Motherhood

“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” – Rabindranath Tagore Quietly communing with a loved one in the early morning hours is such an intimate and precious time. Visiting with one’s grown child when all is dark and still is one of life’s purest pleasures. I remember the conversation clearly. My daughter’s husband, small children, and father were all asleep as we whispered and chatted. She and I are both fidgeters by nature, unable to be still for long. This inner restlessness must be remedied, and we are compelled by biology to...

Keep Reading

As a Medical Mom, I Measure Growth Differently

In: Kids, Motherhood

In most homes, the marks on the wall are a simple celebration of time passing. They are pencil lines that track how many inches a child has gained since their last birthday. But in our home, those marks represent a much deeper, more complex story. When your child lives with multiple hormone deficiencies, growth is never just “natural”—it is a carefully managed medical achievement. However, as any medical mom knows, the story doesn’t end at the top of the head. It begins deep inside, with a tiny gland that isn’t sending the right signals. Having multiple hormone deficiencies is often...

Keep Reading

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

In: Living, Motherhood

Hannah Harper American Idol winner sings with her young son on her lap

By now, you’ve probably seen the posts flooding your feed: A young mom. Three little boys. A guitar strap embroidered with her children’s drawings. And a crown. When Hannah Harper won American Idol this week, moms everywhere erupted. And honestly? Same. There is something collective about watching a stay-at-home mom win on such a large stage. The celebrations have been pouring in. Moms, we can do it. She didn’t abandon her dreams. She went for it. And all of that is true, and all of that is worth celebrating. But I want to add something to the celebration. Not to...

Keep Reading

Watching Your Children Build the Life You Prayed For Is Beautiful

In: Grown Children, Motherhood

“I love you, Mom.” “Hmmm?” (A little louder) “I love you.” “I love you too…so very much.” I’d been deep in thought, listening to the lyrics we were slowly dancing to. I knew this moment of ours was supposed to be the time to say all the things, but this boy and I had already said all the things, so the song the deejay played—written by Lori McKenna and sung by Tim McGraw—enchanted our ears: When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you When the work you put in is realized Let yourself feel the pride but Always stay humble...

Keep Reading

Every Time I Leave My Child With Autism in the Care of Someone Else, I Worry

Kids

Every Time I Leave My Child With Autism in the Care of Someone Else, I Worry

Be the Light: Honoring a Friend Gone Too Soon

Friendship

My Teenage Son Loves His Girlfriend—And So Do I

RELATED: Follow Your Heart But Take Your Brain With You: 20 Rules For Healthy Teen Dating

Throughout the next three years of high school, they became inseparable.

RELATED: It’s Hard To Watch Our Teens Start Dating—And Even Harder To See Their Hearts Break

I am grateful for my teenage son’s girlfriend.

RELATED: The Truth About Marrying Your High School Sweetheart

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Melissa Neeb

The Invisible Pain after IVF Stops

The Final Out

These Holy Small Things

The Pressure to Do Everything “Right” Is Crushing Us

Letting You Go Is Still So Hard

Behind Every Smiling Graduate Is a Mother Letting Go

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

As a Medical Mom, I Measure Growth Differently

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

Watching Your Children Build the Life You Prayed For Is Beautiful

Get It Now

So God Made a Mother

My Teenage Son Loves His Girlfriend—And So Do I

Throughout the next three years of high school, they became inseparable.

I am grateful for my teenage son’s girlfriend.

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

The Invisible Pain after IVF Stops

The Final Out

These Holy Small Things

The Pressure to Do Everything “Right” Is Crushing Us

Letting You Go Is Still So Hard

Behind Every Smiling Graduate Is a Mother Letting Go

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

As a Medical Mom, I Measure Growth Differently

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

Watching Your Children Build the Life You Prayed For Is Beautiful

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like