{13 Great Books in 2013} - The Way of the Wild at Heart

The day my son turned 13, I was at the pediatrician's office.

Me, "Something's wrong.  He's got ADD, ADHD, he eats too many carbs, he can't sleep, he smells...and whatever it is...it's affecting HIS BRAIN.  He's disorganized, tired, and WAAAAAAY TO SARCASTIC."

Doctor smiles and speaks slowly.  "Shanna, this is what puberty looks like in boys".

???????

I let this absorb for about 3 seconds -- then shake my head NO (after all, I've had 3 daughters already go through this).  "I think it's something serious," I say.  "Something with initials".

For once (or maybe for the dozenth time), it appeared my mommy instincts were malfunctioning.

Still, I checked in with vision therapists, counselors, pastors, football coaches and dietitians.  I tried chore charts, positive reinforcements, negative reinforcements -- for both my son AND myself.

Billy and I had countless hours of conversation.

Billy, "The path our son follows to become a man, will be different than that of our girls."

Me, "Fine. What's the path then?  Just explain to me what the path looks like?"

Sometimes, it's really the parents that need the counseling, yes?

Insert:  Prayer.  Lots of prayer.

It had been on my mind for awhile to read this book.

I'm a big fan of John and Stasi Eldredge and the books that they write.

The Way of the Wild Heart is EXCELLENT and I'd recommend it for anyone with a husband or son (or boyfriend for that matter).  It was an answer to prayer for me as it really did lay out a clear path for the masculine journey.  I so clearly saw my son, and breathed a sigh of relief that he was actually only in the beginning of stage 2 (out of 5).  He wasn't crazy, and neither was I.

It affirmed some big decisions we had recently made on his behalf  (no, we didn't put him in military school). And gave us some general guidelines for the next couple of years.

I also so clearly saw the journey my husband has made, and appreciated him all the more for it.

Basically, this book helped me fall back in love with my teenage son -- and deeper in love with his father.  I bet you'll love it too!