In recent weeks the “Your Comments” section has welcomed letters written by Albert Lea High School students, many of whom did a wonderful job of provoking thought in the community.

Thank you.

We noticed that some students commented about the hard schedules of teenagers.

We’ve got a secret to share with those teenagers: It doesn’t get easier as you get older.

Oh, sure, college might have a reputation for its party moments, but college students have to tackle a mountain of work and meet high expectations of professors.

Then they graduate and work really hard to get — hopefully — jobs.

And in those jobs they are working really hard, but if they get promoted they might even have to work longer hours with greater responsibility and more on the line.

And along the way they get married and have children, a mortgage, a pile of student loan debt, probably unfortunate credit card debt, a car payment, maybe two, utility bills, a pet, not enough savings, an investment account on a roller coaster ride, diaper expenses, new clothes for work, day care bills, insurance for this and that and the other, and their house needs a new roof and perhaps a sump pump and their spouse thinks a big TV would be nice and they probably have volunteer community commitments, too.

Indeed, dear children, there are some adults who do seem to have it really easy. Some actually might for one fortunate reason or another — but most of the adults just make all that they do, all the mounds of pressure they handle at work and at home, look really easy.

Just because they make it look really easy doesn’t mean it is. It’s just that adults, most of them anyway, have learned to be humble about all the hard work they do.

Teenagers, your parents deserve your sincerest gratitude. Our suggestion is to go up to them and thank them for the roof over your head, the knowledge in your head and the community you see before your eyes.