God Grant Me the Courage

The road from Sorrento to Positano is narrow. It curves along the coast and hugs the mountainside as cars, trucks, buses and in our case, motor scooters squeeze past each other. I agreed to take the scooter, because Alessandro had been very patient with me during our last two days in Sorrento while I worked photographing Teresa and Stefano's engagement session and wedding. I knew taking the tour on the motor scooter would make him happy, and I was right. He was thrilled. I, on the other hand, had to muster up every ounce of courage and faith, because just about every five minutes we were bombarded by a bus coming straight at us!

That's about how I feel right now dealing with the reality of raising my fifteen year old brother. He's a great kid, and he's come along way since he moved in with us two years ago. If only he could let go of the lying and the scheming. To my exhaustion, this is a weekly routine of his. In one form or the other he fibs, omits truths or outright lies. Within the first month I was already at my wits end which drove me to a parenting workshop at his middle school. Today, I'm on my knees praying for God to grant me the wisdom, maturity and compassion to set a good example and to convey to him the right words that he needs to hear. 

How do you explain to a fifteen year old child that raising oneself from the depths of a challenging upbringing isn't about lying, cheating, stealing and forcing your will? It's about praying, accepting, and trusting in God's plan for you. I count my blessings every day forward and backward thanking God for all the various ways he's placed love in my life, but when it comes to managing the role of guiding this teenager into adulthood, I fear I'll fall short…. 

As they say in Italia, forza! Coraggio! Come on, you can do it!