My
adult daughter was in an intersection getting ready to turn to the road to
wherever she was going. The female in back of her was impatient. Possibly she
was running late for an important appointment. She decided my daughter needed a
reminder so she yelled an expletive about the size of her backend loud enough
so Allena could hear it from her automobile.
How
can one determine the size of one’s butt from car to car when both of you are
seated? The answer is you can’t. It’s smart not to make a turn until you can
make it safely. If you turn and crash, that can’t be taken back. You can
believe that honking driver in back of you will not be paying for your
automobile repairs. Why can’t people be patient, and civil with their words (or
mind their own business)?
Once
Allena became a teenager a variety of people (friends and strangers) have felt
the need to say mean things to my daughter for no real reason. It’s almost like
my daughter has a sign on her forehead that says, “Say or do anything you want
to me because I can take it.”
As
Allena’s father, I know how sensitive she is to these comments. She gets hurt
easily, then angry, then depressed. I don’t like this vicious cycle. If I knew I could beat all those people that
hurt her at times, I would. (I guess her mother and I are sometimes guilty of
not always being as supportive as we could be.)
Part
of parenthood is standing back and allowing your children to fight their own
battles no matter how painful that may be for you as their parent (and friend).
Welcome to the adult life of your children. It’s not for wimps, but for
enthusiastic cheerleaders instead. Your offspring will always need you no
matter how old they get. You are important to their development and support
unit.
No comments:
Post a Comment