Feeling like things might actually be ok. . .

Do you ever feel, as a mom, you cannot do anything right?  I have been feeling that way for quite some time.   Every time you make a decision for your kids you run the risk of screwing them up.  On the other hand, you also may just save them from some of the heart aches that you endured at their age.  We want to protect them and we pray that they will make something of their lives and be happy doing it. 
My oldest is a teenager, that alien that takes over your precious little Angel at the age of 12 ish.   Teenagers don't think they need their parents and certainly don't want to be seen anywhere near them.  According to the teenager parents do not know anything and our only purpose is to drive them places  and be a never ending ATM.  Please do not take what I am saying wrong.  I love my kids, even my alien.   It's just some days, you feel like you have done everything wrong.
The point,  I guess, to all of my rambling is to share something my alien told my dear hubby.  They were talking football,  naturally, and were talking about a boy that is being recruited by several different Universities.   My hubby tells that he heard the boy is looking at a University that is close rather than the two that are farther away.  My alien wants to know why he would choose the close one.  Hubby puts it simply, he doesn't want to be that far from his mama.  Brace yourself, here comes the earth shattering little tid bit that makes me smile.  My alien says, "yep, I can understand that.  I don't blame him."   Could this possibly mean I did something right and that I have not ruined him for life?   I always have said my alien would be the one to go off some where far away for college and never come back.  Maybe there is hope that he will visit and he won't forget about his dear parents.
The jury is still out on our soon to be alien.  I think he has a few more years of tolerability before he makes that ugly transformation to pure alien.  If you have or have had teenagers you know what I mean, if not please don't judge.  You do not know until you have been there.   Love, hugs, and prayers to all of you in the trenches raising teens.  Hang in there, there is a light at the end of that tunnel.