As a mother of a teenager, I worry about everything

Midsummer Eve was magical except that Junior spent it with 7 of his schoolmates instead of us. They were at one of the boys' houses, playing soccer on the soccer field near the friend's home.

To allow this on Midsummer Eve, which is known for drunkenness and brawls, I wanted to know exactly which friends he was going to meet and that he called me at 8 p.m. He also had the choice of either being home by 10 p.m. or I would pick him up with the car if he wanted to stay longer. The reason I am so protected against him is because Sweden has a problem with youth gangs who rob and abuse mainly ethnic Swedish teenagers.

He came home at 10:30 p.m. after he called and announced that he and a friend had missed the bus. When he came home, I smelled him surreptitiously and could tell that he had behaved in an exemplary manner.

We really do have the world's most perfect teenager.