Are you ready? Here it goes. . . .

We're not dried up has-beens. We're not clueless. We're not even that old.

The truth is, we understand more than you think we do.

Don't believe it? Let me explain.

Body Image
Has your mom ever told you to hurry when you're getting ready? Then do you wonder why she spends so much time in front of the mirror, at the gym or reading about the latest diet? She cares about how she looks.

Your mom used to look like you. And she felt the same way about herself as you do. She had youthful beauty but was insecure. She thought her legs were too short and her breasts were too small. And she was convinced that the girl who sat in front of her in math class was too gorgeous to be legal.

As a teen she compared herself with other girls, and as an adult sometimes she still compares herself with other women. Mom still wants to feel pretty, to be pretty. But at the same time, she knows that making her heart beautiful and being renewed by Christ is most important.

Mood Mayhem
Your life in the last few years has taken on an element of drama that you never dreamed of when you were a kid. One minute you're giddy, and the next you're angry. Your best friend fluctuates between worst enemy and confidant. At one point your parents are cool, then you don't know how you got stuck with such aliens. God seems so close that you could be Moses on Mount Sinai, then you wonder if He's even there or even cares.

As you make the transition from child to adult, you're hit with more stressors from the outside. You're confronted with new ideas and temptations. Your relationships are more complicated. Your responsibilities increase and so does the pressure.

As if that's not enough, you're smack in the middle of hormone havoc, and your body is playing tricks on you that can cause some pretty massive mood swings.

Your mom, however, should be different. You expect her to be a constant in your life -- stable, dependable, predictable. Think again. She faces more responsibilities, more heavy decisions, more stress than you do. When she bumps up against a surprise, a disappointment, a loss or a scare, her emotions kick into overdrive just like yours.

And talk about hormones! That old roller coasting is a never-ending ride. Not only does your mom have to follow the swings of her monthly cycle, but she also deals with the radical changes of pregnancy, childbirth, aging and, eventually, menopause.

If your mom rocks the boat with an occasional outburst, an unexplained cry or a moment of embarrassing silliness, cut her some slack. You of all people should understand.

Friends
You eat and breathe relationships. You may have one or two close friends who know your secrets, a group of peers you enjoy hanging with and a few adults you really admire. And even if you don't actually want to spend a lot of time with them right now, your deepest loyalty is probably to your family.

Now think about your mom. Maybe she has friends and acquaintances at work, at church, in the neighborhood and among the relatives. Or maybe she doesn't. Maybe the circumstances of her life have cut her off from meaningful relationships for a time. Maybe she just has you or your dad.

That's not good, even if you're great. After all, could you survive with just her?

Offer to baby-sit the family tornado if Mom wants to go out with her girlfriends. Leave her alone with your dad so they can finish a conversation. Allow her to have time to recharge her batteries. She'll be a better mom because of it.

She Does Get It
There are days when you're sure your mom is speaking a foreign language. You two are so different. Your worlds do not intersect. She cannot, will not, does not understand.

But she does.

Your mom cares about her appearance. She rides the waves of changing emotions. And she needs friends, just like you.

Now you know. Spread the news.

Your mom does understand.

Want to get closer to your mom and to God? Check out this book by Susie Shellenberger called Closer.