Friends I haven't seen for a while will Friends I haven't seen for a while will always ask politely, "How are the children?"

My usual answer will be, "They are growing like weeds." That doesn't seem like a good description of my children ,especially when I compare them to weeds. Weeds are those unsightly, tall plants growing where they aren't wanted.

They may at times be a nuisance, continuously asking the same question over and over when the answer isn't what they want to hear. They complain that they are bored, or whine about a chore that needs to get done, or complain that there isn't any good food to eat in the house. They can appear unkept at times, with hair not being combed or teeth not brushed. And now our 16-year-old will get that unsightly facial hair that needs to be removed on a daily basis. I look at them and love them all the more.

They are like beautiful, dainty buds on a flower not ready to bloom, not yet mature enough to have bloomed into their own special person. Time will tell, and, with the help of God, I will see them bloom, but I still need to be here to weed their garden at times.