Growing up

"Dad," she began, as they traveled in the car alone.  "I overheard mom talking with X (step dad).  She can't stand how Y (step brother) is treating her.  Y either ignores her, or is just plain out rude and nasty.  I don't know how to help.  Can you believe somebody treating mom like that?"

My dear husband swallowed.  He thought carefully, and he remembered my telling him about "the teachable moment" from the classroom.  Quietly, he answered, "Yes, I can believe it.  You treat your step mom the same way and sometimes worse."  Then he just quietly kept driving, but glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, from behind his sun glasses.  He said she was very quiet, at first look, there was disbelief.  Then he could tell she was thinking.  Finally, he saw a tear in her eye.

She asked to come to my family birthday dinner last night, and made a real effort to be friendly and part of the conversations.  We stopped for some teen magazines on the way home and she started decorating her room.  (Think she's planning on coming over more often, if Zac Ephron has anything to do with it!) 

I've not been asking for miracles, just a sign of hope.  I think I got one.  She even asked me to see the decorating when she was done.  I declared it a masterpiece and offered to have a subscription to one of those magazines sent here (so she'd have something she could look forward to here), declaring my addiction to all things Teen Beat, Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson at her age.  We had a moment.  A good moment. There is hope.