Vinnie, my almost 18-year-old son is doing pretty damn good. It was only two years ago where he was going down a not so good path. He graduated high school early, is currently in college, and working a full-time job. He is living at home, which let’s face it, nowadays you kind of have to do. Vinnie, I feel is a businessman at heart. He is wonderful with money and always has a plan to make more. As of now, his goal is to work with at-risk youth, but we all know that can change. He is a wonderful older brother to his sisters, and at his core, he has a good heart.

Vinnie recently bought a 1993 Escalade from a co-worker. It is a beater car, something to get him from point “A” to point “B” while he continues to save for a decent down payment on something nicer. Now, because we are on the maximum for allocated parking spaces in my complex, we now have to rent a parking garage. Both my car and Joe’s car are registered with the complex, so, unfortunately, it had to be Vinnie’s car that gets the garage. We figured it is okay, at least he will have the garage which will allow him to do work on the car. Right?

Well, then we found out the cost of the blasted garage. One hundred and twenty-five dollars a month. Immediately I questioned Vinnie.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“Yes Mom.”

“Are you sure you can afford it?”

“Yes Mom?”

“We can go in half with you!”

“No Mom.”

“Okay but are you sure?”

“Yes Mom.”

So I went to the office and requested a garage. It took two days and 89.00 later (pro-rated)

Our maintenance team was on top of it and made a special stop just to let me know they left a wireless remote in there just to make coming and going easier.

Vinnie comes home from work.

“Vinnie! It’s all set. Your garage is ready. Are you excited?!”

And for a split second, I saw the look of defeat in his eyes.

“What’s wrong? You’re not happy you have your own garage?”

“Just another thing I need to pay for.”

Again, I told him we can go in half. Vinnie, he is proud.

“No Mom, I am not going to have my parents pay for my garage.”

I guess, as a parent, I wish he did not have to worry about money. Not yet, not at this age. Not when he is doing everything right. He is saving money, he is going to school, he works his ass off at a thankless job as a dishwasher. I wish I could take away this one worry from him, but I can’t.

We all know it is better this way. We all know it is in hard times where we gain our strength, and I know Vinnie, he will make it work. I guess I just wish he did not have to.

He is my youngest son. In some ways, he looks at his older brother and sees the mistakes he has made and is determined to not go down that road. I am proud of him. This one, he is going places. But still, the overprotective mom in me wishes that money was no object.

Yet, if money was no object, I do not believe we would learn those hard lessons.

It’s a fine line for me, but a line that I know Vinnie does not want me to cross, no matter how much I want to cross it.

~Jennifer.