Growing up so fast..

There’s nothing that makes you feel quite as old as watching your kids grow up.  My oldest had his 14th birthday a few weeks ago and over the last year he  has changed dramatically, it really feels like having another (almost) adult in the house.  What is particularly strange is that I have such clear memories of being 14 myself.  I remember the discos, the music (I see him cringe when U2 comes on the radio and I tell him that that’s what I listened to when I was his age).  It’s an easy time to start feeling somewhat nostalgic yourself.  There’s always a hint of sadness in it for me.  My best friend growing up was killed in a car crash just after her 21st birthday so many of my teenage memories are extra nostalgic.  Every time I hear Sunday Bloody Sunday I find myself thinking of her and wondering what might have been.  How would she have changed as she matured?  Would we still be friends or would we have grown apart over the years and continued to go through experiences at the same time?  My husband seems like a link between the two times – I met him about a year before she died which I suspect is what saved me from totally crashing and burning.