More Mature Than We Were

My husband and I often comment that in spite of early-onset bipolar disorder and the many ways that this illness affects Caroline, she is actually more mature than we were at her same age by leaps and bounds. The struggles she has been through since she was very young have taught her life lessons that many adults have yet to learn. She is an "old soul" as many of my friends who know her say. Her spiritual depth, and her understanding about the realities of life--the good, the bad, and the ugly--surpasses that of many of her peers, which us why she is so frustrated very often by her attempts at friendships with other young teens. They are often interested in things she has no interest in like gossip, shopping, dating, and the like. She has her sights set on marrying a man like her daddy, who treats her with respect. She sees that most teenage guys are "stupid" however "smart" they are, because they mostly think with their hormones. I tell her often that one day she will have a lot of friends, but they have to catch up to her maturity, which will take a few years. I think her late teens and twenties will be good years for her. As long as she stays on her meds, follows the Lord, knows her limits, and chooses the right friends, she can accomplish so much in this life. We know that she has a future and a hope! Jeremiah 29:11