Okay, I want you to think back to when you were 13 years old.

What comes to mind?

Oh, I know, right?

I mean, for me, it's a flood of awkward memories, everything from braces to voice cracks,

parachute pants. I mean, come on, I wasn't alone in this. Did anyone else have

the parachute pants with the zippers on them? Yes, they were cool at the time. And, oh my gosh,

glasses so thick that you could start a fire with just the right amount of sunlight.

Oh my goodness.

I remember feeling like I was caught between those two worlds when you're no longer a kid,

but definitely not an adult quite yet.

It was like being stuck in the middle of a bridge and unsure which side to run towards.

A few years ago, I did an episode titled What to Say to a 10-year-old, and I still hear from you about it.

So I thought, you know, it's time to do another one, and this time for 13-year-olds.

My oldest son just turned 14, and so I wanted to wait and experience 13 all over again with him,

and then that would allow me some insight in this episode.

You know, years ago, we lived at a house with a tree in the backyard that always reminds me

of those middle school years. It was a Japanese maple tree, and honestly, I loved it so much.

And Japanese maples, they're probably my favorite trees to begin with. But when we first moved

into the house, it was this scrawny little saffling, just gangly branches

with not much to it, to be honest.

It seemed very young.

And for years, it just kind of existed, right?

...