Hugs, Hopeful! I get it, truly I do. My son is very self aware of what he is feeling emotionally but I have noticed him pulling away lately at times. He's 18 and a senior in high school and I see him seeking for independence and I caught him in a few little white lies lately that ticked me off because it's so not like him.
With that said: he got his first job recently and is happy to be working about 15 hours a week. He's varsity captain of the tennis team this year, he still drives himself to his high level tennis training camps about 45 minutes away at least 4 days a week! He's busy and taking care of his own schedule and I'm so very proud of him. He's talking about his future with excitement.
But, there's the other side that bothers me. He's a bit of a loner. He doesn't have a lot of friends or confidantes. He tries to 'save' his father and he buys into what my XAH says way too much. I hear him sounding like his dad a lot with negativity and a small mind when he thinks through things.
Anyway, you're a great mom! Your girls are so blessed to have you!