There are a few difficult stages in life I am aware of and will try my hardest to prevent total self-destruction. Those times when you stop and say - Who Am I?
life post college, entering your vocation, empty nesting, retirement...
The latest growing pain is... the Adult Child. A delicate mix of desiring to make decisions on your own, yet battling the opinions and guidance of the people who have parented you for the past 20+ years. Unfortunately they do not have an 'off' switch.
The irony of it is, no matter how hard we try to break away, to develop our own thoughts, to make our own decisions, to pave our own paths, we are a product of our childhood. We are brainwashed, biased, and bonded to our parents.
While trimming (painting) the ceiling of a friend's house, my father sat on my shoulder, "Slow down! Haste makes waste, Kate..."
While considering the productivity of my day and whether the laundry should get done that afternoon, my mother whispered, "Maybe tomorrow..."
While embarking on a trip to the airport to pick up a friend after dark, my father made his way to my ears, "Buckle up, watch for deer!"
Although most consider insanity when voices enter their minds, there is comfort in knowing I am most likely not the only one - what do you hear?
3 comments:
"When you're in a rush, slow down" (though Dad swears he doesn't remember this"
"Chance favors the prepared mind" ~Dad
"Why don't you buy two"
~Mom (when you find a good deal on something that fits really well)
"Slow down - conserve your energy!"
~Mom (maybe someday I'll listen...)
And the most important of all...
"We love you!" :-D
There are so so many! But some of the most remembered are as follows:
"There's no rush to get married!" -Mom : D
"Don't burn bridges." -Dad
"Watch for deer! They jump out of nowhere. Seriously, SLOW DOWN." -Mom
"Work hard." -Dad
"Even if you have ONE drink, don't drive. Just call a cab or CALL ME and I will pick you up. No judgment." -Mom
"Better to be safe..." -Dad
You're lucky you only hear two voices!
In all seriousness, I actually read an interesting book about hearing our intuition. The author's position was that our intuition is that still, small voice in our gut and that it is the piece of God in each of us. She said that voice is hard to hear because there are MANY voices in our heads that are louder...from parents, to friends, to teachers, to societal norms and fears, etc.
Anyway, one that pops into my head quite often and is one I absolutely HATED growing up is my Dad bursting into my room on weekend mornings saying, "Get out of bed, you ain't makin' no bread!"
Thus I never sleep in.
There's also:
"Doing your best is all you can ask for." -Dad
"Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes." -Mom
"A little treat is never a bad thing." -Mom
"Don't always assume you're right." -Dad
"Nothing is more important than good customer service." -Dad
and
"It's important that I, occasionally, let your father think he's right." -Mom
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