Written for MLMM Monday Wordle.
Here’s where the prompt words took me.
date, love, good, struggle, touch, wisdom,
generations, heart, dreams, songs, coffee, and hands
Janet wrapped both hands around her coffee mug and stared at the kitchen table. Roy sat across from her, patiently listening.
“She’s too young,” Janet said.
“She’s sixteen.” Roy reached out to touch her arm. “We were that age when we started to date.”
“That’s different.”
“Is it?” He smiled softly. “Every generation thinks the next one is moving too fast. That’s the way it’s always been.”
Janet looked up. “I just don’t want her to struggle the way I did. My first boyfriend broke my heart, remember?”
“I do, and yet here you are.” Roy took her hands in his. “Still standing. Still singing Madonna songs in the shower.”
She laughed despite herself.
“We give her our wisdom,” he continued, “and trust that we’ve raised someone with a good head on her shoulders, able to follow her heart and still hold onto her dreams.”
Janet nodded slowly. “Okay. But we’re meeting this boy first.”
“Just try and stop me!”
“Love you.”
“Me too.”
NAR©2026
#MLMM
#Wordle
This is “Here for You” by Neil Young
Everything seen here was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. If there’s something you would like to use, ask me; if I think it’s appropriate, I will gladly agree. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 
Love this and remember how wonderful my folks were when I started dating.
Having no kids of my own, I did foster, and ‘the talk’ with our last foster girl was ‘enlightening’…………. after a night of babysitting (she’d come downstairs in high heels, a short skirt and fishnet tights, so I sent her upstairs to change) she didn’t get in until 2am, originally having told us she’d be home by 11. I got a bullshit story about not wanting to use the house phone (no mobiles then), and partner had gone to bed at midnight leaving me to deal with it.
I got straight into ‘the talk’, her denying anything untoward, then she said he couldn’t make her pregnant because he ate a lot of polo mints.
I nearly choked as I thought I’d heard it all.
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This poor girl was terribly uneducated and/or misinformed. She knew enough to dress up like that but believed the mints would keep her from getting pregnant. Sounds like you had your hands full with that one, and no help from your ex.
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Her story was one of abuse by her stepfather and a mother in denial. She was difficult, and in the end , finished my fostering career as she accused partner of abuse. He was a lot of things, but child abuser, no way. I had her removed the day I heard what she was saying as her friend had come into my works to tell me. Her social worker was not impressed at my insistence of her being removed immediately , and let slip that she had said something to him earlier. I was livid, and just getting my life back together after my breakdown. I will never forget how surprised she was at being moved and the way she came down the stairs and told me she was sorry. I looked her straight in the eye and said I bet you are!
Turned out partner had flicked her with a tea towel and I had to delay my leaving the relationship to clear his name.
It was a very sad turn of events, as apparently she was removed from her previous foster home for a similar accusation, and she accused the guy after us as well. She knew how to play the system as a move meant new clothes , but she came unstuck as the couple she was placed with were married in name only as he was gay, then it all came out.
She was a very troubled teenager, as was her sister, who had stood up to the step father and blown everything wide open. I tried to help them both, and would have had the pair of them, but the social services wouldn’t let me as each girl had different needs.
I believe both are Mums in their own right now, one being 55 this year and the other 54., but I lost touch with the younger of the two around 1991.
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What an incredible story! Bless you for doing everything within your power to help that girl. Such a shame; her young life was marred long before she ever came to stay with you. Things might have been different.
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I did what I could for all of them, trying to share my childhood experiences and giving them some stability and support when they needed it. She was my only ‘failure’ but she was with us for over a year.
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Eventually you have to let go.
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Absolutely! We didn’t have a tough time with our boys but I’ve been told it’s “different” with girls. I gave my parents more than a few gray hairs!
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They are always too young!
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Ain’t that the truth!
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My daughter had two older brothers who knew all the boys she dated. There was quite the talk when they didn’t like one of them! Not fun at the time, but we laugh about it now.
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I bet they were very protective of their little sister, too! We have only sons and they weren’t beasts as teenagers, thank goodness.
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My kids are all close in age so she knew all the boys. But my boys knew them better! 😉
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It gets harder to remember the older I get. So, yeah…
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I only remember what a handful I was for my poor parents!
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Ah, those difficult teenage years … not easy for parents to remember what it was like when they were a teenager … it’s funny how the worm turns … my friend
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Very true, my friend. I know I caused my parents great concern!
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I don’t think it’s changed for a thousand years my friend my friend 🥰
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I remember the conversations we had with our daughter so well but I don’t think we ever stop worrying about our children ♥️ love the track too thanks Nance 🙌
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That’s for sure! Even now that our sons are grown with their own children, we still worry. ♥️ That’s a new song for me; I think it’s lovely. Thanks, Ange! 🎶
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A difficult time for parents
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Letting go is never easy.
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Very true dear friend.
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Must be so hard for parents when their child starts dating, I imagine it is so hard for them to let go and allow their child to grow up!
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I know it was hard for my parents …. and I didn’t make it any easier for them!
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