[Lyn]

Can you all just humour me for a change, a not so serious problem, a mum problem for a change. This is something bothering my daughter and me of course, some of your young females and male may also fit the picture or have an answer/solution because of the same thing. Casey turned 16 last December, she has been doing this BC Tango with me non-stop, and I mean constantly since she was only 8 years old back in 98. On the last evening onboard the Cruise Ship Holiday from Hell, in typical movie theme, my daughter met a really nice, and I mean a really nice young man who turned 20 during the trip. Short version, when asked her age she hesitated and said she was 17, she thought he would not talk to her if she was any younger, and any older and she would have had ID and entrance issues, quick thinker my girl, so fingers crossed, the way I see it, her age is a stumbling block now, yes but, and lets face it in the end he gets a younger version, so in a way he has been forewarned with a bonus. It is turning out to be a very pleasant MSN relationship, eventhough they have had what she says "isn't a date" because he didn't use those words, "would you like to go on a date", firstly we met up with him the Saturday after the cruise, together with his brother in law who runs Karoke at a nearby Tavern, he lives over an hour and half's drive from our place, and said in the beginning of their friendship he would travel for the right girl, surprisingly he was asked for ID that night as well, he didn't even realise this was not a family night so that date was a bit of a fizzer, I left them alone for a bit and they chatted for over an hour then then we left. He did then take her to the Movies and dinner in a Thai Restaurant last night, he insisted on paying, and he had her in the front door by 10.30pm even after asking and knowing she didn't have a curfew as such, who could ask for anything more, is he not interested, or he is genuinely very respectful, strange my daughter remarked the previous week that he spent more time talking to me and making eye contact in our conversations. Casey said she would pay for the next outing, and he said OK ir you really want to. NOW, just about everyone is stressing her to tell him about the age difference, not even her father is concerned and says just let us all just wait and see, they have known each other for all of 17 days, the way I see it now there is a problem of only being 9mts out of date, so the whole night life/alcohal scene does not interest him anyway, the delema, he could be talking to a real 17 year old who wants to discuss the free Lip Gloss in the Dolly Magazine, or instead he could be brought up to date with a knowledge of life living with, and caring for someone with Cancer, I know we all would prefer the lip gloss scenario, she has travelled as well so she is full of info. I was ignorant of the word Cancer while growing up and only until my own diagnosis, but my gorgeous daughter never seemed to go through the awkward teen dating, there hasn't been time, for that matter she hasn't dated at all, I tell her that males are frightened that not only is she sweet on the eye but she has a brain and she can hold a long conversations with people on all levels and they are frightened she may reject them instead. I know to all of us 1 year is a prescious gift, my advice also was to see how this friendship steers in the future and address it when it makes waves or becomes an issue, in other words have some fun yourself for a change, as I mentioned she has a very low self esteem and I believe it is because she hasn't dated and it is so hard trying to build up her confidence, ironically her father didn't tell me he was 12 years YOUNGER!! than me until he had been an item in my life for over 6 months, a bit like can we keep the puppy until we find a home for it, I had a grin on my face for days, from ear to ear and so originally when he told me the "I have to talk to you about something" topic, my stomach sank, thinking he was giving me the flick, but our just past anniversay on the 26 February, marked 18 years of officially being together and in love more now than ever, well I think so. In comparison our family went to lunch to day at Sizzlers and there was a group of young ladies obviously in the 17 year plus age bracket having the equivalent of a food fight. Are we doing the right thing, they are still only at the HUGS hello and good-byes stage, I was joking and said to Casey he was new at this and is having a Reveal, he apparently wore glasses, had braces on his teeth, a very bad experience and has a home gym in his bedroom, so I think he never dated before either. Oh the real life, believe it or not I am enjoying her dating saga, this enables her to share something other than BC with me, mother daughter instead of the other way around. Thanks guys for listening to my Steroid Banter.


Love & Hugs Lyn